International Society for Humor Studies Meetings

35th Annual Conference of the International Society for Humor Studies , July 7 to 11, 2025, at the Zinar Castle in Krakow, Poland. For more information, contact the Conference Organizers at info@ishs2025.pl.

2024 Webinar Series of the International Society for Humor Studies, Spring 2024. Seven special webinars, hosted by ISHS's Specialist Interest Groups. For more information, click here to visit the 2024 ISHS Webinar page.

Twenty-First Conference of the International Society for Luso-Hispanic Studies, November 8-9, 2024, University of Lille, Hauts-de-France. The International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies will hold its Semi-Annual Conference at the University of Lille in France. For more Conference and Society information, visit ISLHHS on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ISLHHS, or the Conference organizer, Michelle Guillemont at micheleguillemont@gmail.com.

Thirty-First AHSN Colloquium, February 19-21, 2025, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. The 31st Colloquium of the Australasian Humour Studies Network (AHSN) will be held at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. The colloquium theme will be The Evolutions of Humour, and the paper submissions deadline is August 31, 2024. Paper proposals can be sent via e-mail to Dr. Alex Cothren at alexander.cothren@flinders.edu.au. For additional information, you can visit the AHSN website at https://ahsnhumourstudies.org/annual-conference.

Fifty-First Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Play, February 26-March 1, 2025, San Padre Island, Texas, USA. The 51st Annual Meeting of The Association for the Study of Play will take at the San Padre Island Holiday Inn in San Padre Island, Texas. The theme of the conferences will be Sustaining Play. For more information, visit the TASP website at https://studyofplay.org.

Thirty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, May 1-4, 2025, Charlotte, North Carolina. The theme of the 38th AATH Conference will be Back to the Humor, and the Call for Papers deadline is November 15, 2024. Conference discounts are available to ISHS members. For more information, visit the AATH Conference page at https://www.aath.org.

Seventeenth Annual Conference of the Lighthearted Philosophers Association, November 10-11, 2023, Whitefish, Montana, USA. The Lighthearted Phliosophers Society will hold its annual conference at the Firebrand Hotel in Whitefish, Montana. The 2022 deadline for submissions is June 15 with acceptance notifications send by July 15. Details on how to register and submit papers for the conference can be found at www.lightheartedphilosophers.com. For additional conference information, you can write to the conference organizers at lighthearted.philosophers@gmail.com.

Thirteenth Humor Research Conference, March 31-April 1, 2023, Texas A & M University–Commerce, Texas, USA. The Humor Research Conference invites submissions for an online international multidisciplinary two day conference, based in Commerce, Texas. The conference includes an opening session and reception, paper sessions, panels, posters, and workshops. Paper submissions were to be sent to HRC@tamuc.edu by January 15, 2023. For more information, contact the Conference Organizers at HRC@tamuc.edu or visit the Conference website at https://www.tamuc.edu/humor. ISHS Endorsed Conference.

Fourth Taboo Conference, September 28-30, 2022, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. The theme of the 4th Taboo Conference was Taboo in Language, Culture, and Communication. For more information, visit the Conference website at http://taco2020.grupposymposia.it. ISHS Endorsed Conference

Sixth International Gelological Congress, May 12-15, 2021, St. Petersburg, Russia. The sixth International Gelological Congress focused on the communicative potential of humor and laughter, but also the communicative ambivalence of laughter as a phenomenon, building and destroying communication. The Congress not only focused on interpersonal communication, but also on intercultural, transcultural, cross-cultural communication, sociology of laughter, the fear of laughter, tomfoolery, laughing aggression, communicative aspects, and social genesis of laughter. The Congress invited participants from sociology, social philosophy, psychology, sociolinguistics, folkloristics, literary criticism and others.  Interested participant were to submit registration materials by March 15, 2021, and paper abstracts (up to 1000 words) by February 25, 2019. For more information, contact the congress organizer Sergei Troitckii at sergtroy@yandex.

Symposium on Humor and Conflict in the Public Sphere, Lueven, Belgium, April 4-5, 2024. The Center for Sociological Research (CeSO) at KU Leuven is organizing a Symposium on Humor and Conflict in the Public Sphere on April 4-5, 2024, coordinated by Giselinde Kuipers and Jonas Nicolai. Several panel talks, exhibitions and documentary screenings will facilitate dialogue between academics, comedic professionals, and broader audiences, and present the results of two humor projects, HuSca and CELSA. The following two sessions will broadcast live for ISHS members:

Panel on Cartoons and the Depiction of Social Conflict, April 4, 3:45 pm CET
Keynote by Alberto Godioli on Humor and Free Speech, April 5, 2:00 pm CET

Humour, Satire and Play in History, Pedagogy and Therapy, June 27-28, 2024, University of Northhampton, Waterside Campus, United Kingdom. Humour, satire and play are central features of human life, past and present. For historians, exploring humour can offer a window into the political, social, and cultural dynamics of previous times. Humour is underpinned by many spoken and unspoken cultural norms, values and ideals, and what is deemed 'funny' has changed dramatically is differing historical contexts. The roles played by humour are also diverse and it has been used to speak truth to power, to bring pleasure and enjoyment to life and to develop senses of community and wellbeing. This two-day conference aims to interrogate the many uses of humour, and related topics of satire and play, both in the past and in the contemporary world. We invite contributions in the form of 20-minute papers and proposals for 90-minute panels. We also welcome other formats based on 20-minute and 90-minute timeframes, such as interviews, performances and dramatizations, and workshop sessions. Submit presentation proposals to Siobhan Hyland: Siobhan.hyland@northampton.ac.uk by January 31, 2024. For more information contact the conveners, Mark Rothery at mark.rothery@northampton.ac.uk or Paul Jackson at paul.jackson@northampton.ac.uk.

Comedy/Humor Conference, July 10-12, 2023, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA. The American Humor Studies Association in conjunction with the Humor Studies SIG of SCMS held a Comedy/Humor Conference at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. The mission of the conference was to foster and stimulate dynamic conversations among scholars, and as such welcomed scholars, writers, and performers. For more information and the conference program, visit https://humorinamericaconference.wordpress.com.

Laughing in an Emergency: Humour in Contemporary Art, University of Manchester, United Kingdom, April 17-18, 2020. In addition to keynotes from leading international artists including Richard Bell (Australia) and Stefanos Tsivopoulos (Greece/US), the program included papers from scholars and practitioners addressing the interface of humour and contemporary art from diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives. Topics addressed included, but were not restricted to, contemporary art and the following: humour and crisis, humour and the global south, humour and identity, humour and gender, humour and resistance, humour and the museum, humour and authenticity, humour and contemporaneity, humour and the art market, humour and cultural resilience.  For more information contact the Conference organizers at liae@manchester.ac.uk or visit the conference website at https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/history/connect/events/laughing-in.

Twentieth International Summer School & Symposium on Humour and Laughter, July 27 to August 1, 2020, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany. The International Summer Schools are intended for students and established investigators, planning research projects on humor, an opportunity to develop a strong foundation on the existing theoretical and methodological issues related to the scientific study of humor. For additional information on the 2020 Summer School, contact Willibald Ruch at w.ruch@psychologie.uzh.ch or the local organizer, Rene Proyer at rene.proyer@psych.uni-halle.de. For additional information on previous International Summer Schools, visit the Summer School homepage. ISHS Endorsed Symposium

Allen Klein: Humor for Workplace Wellness — Offers keynotes, breakout sessions, and workshops on how to use humor to deal with changes, challenges, and not-so-funny stuff in the workplace and in life. (Founder: Allen Klein).

The Humor Project — Organization devoted to helping people tap the positive power of humor and creativity (Founder: Joel Goodman).

HumorRx — Provider of professional seminars, books, articles, and other products related to humor and health (Founder: Karyn Buxman).

HumorWorks — Provider of professional seminars that explore the benefits of humor in the workplace (Founder: John Morreall).

Jest for the Health of It — Provider of humor and health resources and workshops (Founder: Patty Wooten).

L.A.U.G.H.S. — Provider of seminars to help people develop their humor and laughter skills to reduce stress and promote physical well-being.  (Founder: Dorothea Keeling).

Laughter Remedy — Provider of humor and health resources and workshops (Founder: Paul McGhee).

Laughways — Provider of keynotes, in-services, professional development trainings, employee appreciation events, and retreats (Founders: Kay Caskey and Laurie Young).

Stand Up for Mental Health — Provider of stand-up comedy courses for people with mental illness as a way of building self-esteem (Founder: David Granirer).

Steve Kaplan's Comedy Intensive — Provider of professional seminars and workshops for screenwriters, directors and actors exploring comic performance theory and techniques.