On March 12 and 13, 2026, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress will host a symposium titled, “From Lived Experience to Public Memory: Commemorating, Documenting, and Archiving Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The two-day symposium will gather scholars, artists, documentarians, archivists, and community-based practitioners working at the intersection of COVID-19 and cultural heritage to explore how we document and remember the COVID-19 pandemic. This gathering is part of the COVID-19 American History Project—a Congressionally mandated initiative of the American Folklife Center to document Americans’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below, find a call for proposals to participate in the symposium. Return to this page for more information on the event. For questions, email [email protected].
The American Folklife Center welcomes proposals to participate in “From Lived Experience to Public Memory: Commemorating, Documenting, and Archiving Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Scholars, artists, documentarians, archivists, and community-based practitioners working at the intersection of COVID-19 and cultural heritage are encouraged to submit proposals.
Themes for proposals may include, but are not limited to:
Symposium organizers welcome proposals for 20-minute paper presentations (with 10-minute Q&A sessions), 90-minute panels, and/or creative works to be performed.
All proposals should include the following information:
Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF file to [email protected]. Write “Proposal to 2026 COVID-19 Symposium” in the subject line of your email submission.
The deadline for submissions is June 16, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. Applicants will be notified in August 2025 about decisions regarding their proposals.
For questions about proposals, contact [email protected].
This symposium is supported by an advisory committee, comprised of professionals working in the fields of public health, academia, and cultural heritage. Members include:
