TASP 53rd Annual Conference
Philly at Play
Ritual, Recreation, and Revolution
May 20-22, 2027
Temple University Center City
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Proposal deadline: December 30, 2026
Join the Revolution of Play
The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) invites scholars, artists, scientists, and practitioners to lace up their sneakers, pack their curiosity, and join us in the City of Brotherly Love for our 2027 Annual Conference.
Philadelphia is a city of historic firsts. It is the birthplace of American democracy, home to the nation’s first zoo, and proudly stands as the world's very first official international "Playful Learning City." From the sprawling urban wilds of the Wissahickon Valley to the vibrant, rhythmic subversion of the Mummers Parade, Philly is the perfect living laboratory to explore how play shapes our biology, our culture, and our collective freedom.
We welcome submissions across diverse disciplines – including anthropology, biology, communication studies, cultural studies, dance, ecology, education, ethology, folklore, history, kinesiology, leisure studies, musicology, philosophy, psychology, recreation, sociology, and the arts. Let's break out of our disciplinary silos and academic grids and study play, playfully.
Conference Tracks
We invite proposals that align with our overarching theme – Philly at Play – Ritual, Recreation, and Revolution – or that address the study of play through our five interdisciplinary tracks:
Track 1 – Mummers, Murals, and Mobilities – Performance and Folklore in the Streets
Focus: How street games, public art, block parties, and parade culture disrupt institutional structures, reclaim civic pavement, and preserve cultural memory.
Key Fields: Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Folklore, Dance, Musicology, Sociology, Communication.
Track 2 – The Cradle of Liberty – Philosophy, History, and the Democratic Right to Play
Focus: Play as a fundamental human right. We invite historical analyses of leisure, ethical debates on public joy, and critiques of the systemic "play deficit" in marginalized urban communities.
Key Fields: History, Philosophy, Leisure Studies, Recreation, Education, Sociology.
Track 3 – Playful Landscapes – Urban Planning, Ecology, and Environmental Psychology
Focus: Transforming transit hubs, parks, and laundromats into learning hubs. This track explores how the design of physical spaces – natural and built – shapes human and non-human development.
Key Fields: Ecology, Environmental Psychology, Urban Planning, Architecture, Education, Design, The Arts.
Track 4 – The Wild City – Ethology, Biology, and the Evolution of Play
Focus: Bridging human behavior with the animal kingdom. We welcome research on animal play mechanisms, the neurobiology of games, and the somatic architectures of physical movement across species.
Key Fields: Ethology, Biology, Kinesiology, Psychology, Cognitive Science.
Track 5 – Serious Play – Cognition, Game Design, and Communication Media
Focus: Unpacking the rules, systems, and languages of play. This track highlights how digital media, tabletop games, and linguistic play develop executive function, build community, and solve complex problems.
Key Fields: Game Design, Media Studies, Cognitive Psychology, Education, Communication Studies.
Submission Categories
We want to experience your work in the format that best highlights its brilliance. Select the style that suits your project:
Research Presentations (Traditional & Creative): 15-20 minute individual papers or project overviews. We highly encourage multimedia elements to keep your data dynamic!
Interactive Workshops: 60 minute fully immersive, hands-on sessions. Don't just talk about play – lead us through movement, gameplay, or a collaborative design exercise.
Panel Discussions: 60 minute cohesive sessions where 3-4 presenters address a shared question from wildly different disciplinary angles.
Poster Sessions: Turn your visual charts, mapping projects, film reels, or digital game prototypes into an interactive exhibition block.
Roundtables: 60-minute unscripted, conversational circles led by a moderator to debate emerging field issues alongside an active audience.
How to Submit
Submit your proposal and a short biographical note through the online submission form by December 30, 2026. Please indicate your preferred conference track and submission category.
General Submission Requirements
Before selecting a specific category, all applicants must provide the following baseline information in the portal:
Title: Maximum 15 words (Make it punchy!).
Abstract: Maximum 300 words summarizing the scope, methods, and relation to play.
Keywords: Exactly 3 to 5 keywords for reviewer routing.
Primary Track: Select 1 of the 5 conference tracks.
Primary Disciplines: Provide the relevant discipline.
Biographical Note: Maximum 100 words per presenter.
Category-Specific Guidelines and Word Counts
1. Research Presentations
Format: Individual presentation (15-20 minutes).
Proposal Word Count: 300-word abstract only.
Required Details: Clearly state your core question, methodology (e.g., ethnographic, experimental, archival), and findings or theoretical conclusions.
Tech Needs: Indicate if you require standard audio/visual projection.
2. Interactive Workshops
Format: Immersive session (60 or 90 minutes).
Proposal Word Count: 500 words total (300-word abstract + 200-word timeline).
Required Details: Your proposal must include a brief, step-by-step session timeline detailing exactly how you will engage the audience.
Activity Check: Briefly explain what physical movements, games, or collaborative tasks the audience will perform.
Space Needs: Specify if you need an open floor layout (e.g., for movement/dance) rather than standard rows of chairs.
3. Panel Discussions
Format: Multi-speaker thematic session (60 or 90 minutes).
Proposal Word Count: 800 words total.
300 words: Overall panel rationale explaining how the presenters' disciplines intersect.
150 words per speaker: A mini-abstract for each of the 3 to 4 individual contributors.
Required Details: Designate one person as the Panel Organizer to submit the entire block on behalf of the group.
4. Poster Sessions
Format: Visual poster display.
Proposal Word Count: 300-word abstract.
Required Details: Describe the visual or interactive elements of your display.
Media Requirements: If you are showcasing a digital game prototype, video reel, or audio soundscape, clearly specify your exact hardware needs (e.g., power outlets, table space, headphone jacks).
5. Roundtables
Format: Moderated community conversation (60 minutes).
Proposal Word Count: 400 words total.
200 words: Description of the core debate, tension, or emerging issue in the field of play.
200 words: A list of 3 to 5 guiding questions intended to spark audience participation.
Required Details: List the names of the Moderator and any designated co-facilitators.
Review Criteria
All submissions will undergo a blind peer-review process based on four simple benchmarks:
Relevance: Connection to the study of play and the "Philly at Play" theme/tracks.
Interdisciplinary Appeal: Potential to spark interest across multiple fields.
Clarity: Clear objectives, arguments, or session goals.
Engagement: Active or thought-provoking delivery style (especially for workshops and roundtables).
Proposal deadline: December 30, 2026