Call for expressions of interest.
Meeting theme: Prayer on display
The aim of this two-day meeting is to connect prayer studies scholars with practitioners from the Gallery, Museum, Archives, and Libraries (GLAM) sector. Many GLAM collections hold objects connected to the history of prayer, and are engaged in innovative interpretative, display, and engagement practices. The PRAYTICIPATE Action brings together researchers from 38 countries. These researchers are working across fields including the material realities of prayer, social realities and networks of prayer, and immersive realities of prayer. This stakeholder meeting aims to create new networks and connections between archivists, researchers, artists, curators, librarians, and other GLAM professionals, so that these communities can share insights and make new connections.
This event will allow GLAM professionals to engage with recent advances in prayer scholarship, and for researchers to learn from the working practices of GLAM professionals, with an emphasis on exploring innovative and engaging ways of presenting the history of prayer in museums, galleries, libraries, and archives.
The event will take place at the University of Limerick and at the Hunt Museum in Limerick on 1-2 October 2026. The University of Limerick is a centre for research into cultural heritage and practice-based research, with a recently-established Structured PhD programme in the public humanities which is designed around the busy working practices of GLAM professionals. The Hunt Museum holds a world class collection of art and antiquities, with over 2,500 objects spanning 5,000 years. This includes a rich collection of objects associated with prayer, and the event will include a workshop with the curatorial team at the Hunt Museum.
Call for expressions of interest.
Researchers and GLAM professionals are invited to submit an expression of interest with the following details:
- Name and affiliation
- Email address
- Brief outline of relevant expertise
- Short abstract (c. 300 words) of a topic which would form the basis of an informal presentation as part of the networking event.
Please email your expression of interest to Dr Niamh NicGhabhann Coleman at Niamh.nicghabhann [at] ul.ie before 27 July 2026.
If your expression of interest is accepted, and you wish to attend this networking event with funding, you may consider becoming a member of the COST Action. Non-members may be eligible for funded participation, but will need to register via e-cost.
As well as attending this event, PRAYTICIPATE members will be eligible to apply for various grants and opportunities associated with the Action theme – examples can be found on the Action website.
There is no charge to become a member of the Action, and the steps are outlined in the link below: https://prayticipate.eu/join-us/
🔗 Stakeholder Meeting Proposal Document (.pdf)
🔗 Meeting Programme (.pdf)