Beyond Imagination Conference

Helen and Katrina are excited to be part of the organising team for ‘Beyond Imagination – transforming sport for all’ conference.  This is being held at the Royal College of Music and Drama, 12-13 July 2027. The conference is running along side Cardiff Eurogames (14-17 July 2027).

The open call for submissions is now open until 30/9/26.

Sport has always held the power to inspire, unite, and spark joy. At its best, it creates spaces where people move freely, connect deeply, and celebrate both individuality and community. Yet, for many, especially those within LGBTQIA+ communities, access to this joy has long been shaped by exclusion, erasure, and inequality.

In these conditions, imagination becomes a lifeline: a way to picture something better, to feel what is possible before it exists.

To be marginalised is to be isolated, to live life on the fringes of a world that does not accept you. To survive this world, imagination becomes a solace, an alternative reality. These dreams provide a means to live a life you have always wanted, free from prejudicial gaze. Imagination is a survival tool of the oppressed; to generate change requires interrogating reality and dismantling local, national, and global structures that have long excluded those who do not fit privileged norms.

This conference invites scholars, activists, practitioners, artists, athletes, and policymakers to co-create a manifesto for inclusive transformation that moves us beyond imagination.

Across two days of conversation, collaboration, and connection, we will move beyond the imagined and toward the possible.

The conference is shaped by four cross-cutting streams:

·       Safety

·       Parity

·       Integrity

·       Joy

Conference Timeline

Call Opens — June 2026
The invitation is live—submit your ideas, your questions, and your visions for transforming sport.

Submission Deadline — 30 September 2026
Proposals must be in—this is your moment to share your voice and what you are imagining.

Review Period— October - November 2026
Our team reads each submission, holding space for diverse perspectives, critical insight, and transformative potential.

Decisions Released — Early December 2026
You’ll hear from us—whether you’ll be joining us to co-create this collective space of dialogue and change.

Work With Us — January–March 2027
Confirmed contributors will receive further guidance and support to shape sessions that are engaging, inclusive, and impactful.

Programme Launch — April 2027
The full programme goes live!

Conference — 12–13 July 2027
We gather to connect, challenge, celebrate, and move beyond imagination—toward building sport as a space of safety, parity, integrity, and joy.

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