Media Cymru Innovation Conference and Showcase 2026: Call for Papers

All abstract submissions for the conference will be managed through the Frontiers in Communication Research Topic platform and should be submitted via this page. Please note that Frontiers refers to abstracts as ‘manuscript summaries.’ To submit your abstract, please click ‘Submit’ > ‘Submit your manuscript summary’ and follow the on-screen instructions. Any reference to manuscripts, manuscript submission, and publication fees on this page or within the submission portal should be ignored.

Organized by Cardiff University’s Centre for the Creative Economy, the Media Cymru Conference and Showcase will spotlight research and innovation in the media and creative industries, with a focus on making them greener, fairer, globally connected, and economically sustainable. Participants can look forward to an engaging and interdisciplinary program featuring invited speakers from across academia, industry, and policy, including national and international experts in the media and creative industries. A full list of keynote and featured contributors will be announced in due course.

We invite all researchers and professionals to submit work that explores approaches to, and analyses of, media and creative industries innovation in ways that can inform future practice and policy. We welcome a broad range of topics.

Conference Themes and Topics

Submissions should align with (at least one of) our four themes: Green, Fair, Global, and Growth. These themes reflect Media Cymru’s four strategic pillars, which serve as tracks for submissions:

• Green—Environmental Sustainability: research on the media’s role in tackling the climate crisis. Topics include the role of media content in responding to the climate crisis, sustainable film/TV production, green broadcasting technologies and practices, energy-efficient infrastructure for creative studios, and case studies on carbon reduction in media and the wider creative industries.

• Fair—Inclusive & Equitable Creative Industries: research promoting a fair, equitable, and diverse media sector. Topics include diversity and inclusion in media content and production, representation and accessibility in film, television and gaming, community media initiatives, minority language media production and consumption, and research that focuses on how to create greater equity in the creative industries.

• Global—International Collaboration & Reach: research on expanding the global impact and connections of small creative industries companies or regional ecosystems. Topics include international co-productions and partnerships, cross-cultural innovation in media, export of creative content, global audiences and markets, creative tourism, and comparisons of creative economy policies across regions. Work that highlights place-based innovation in the global creative landscape is especially welcome.

• Growth—Creative Economy Development: research driving economic growth and productivity through media R&D and innovation. Topics include creative entrepreneurship and startups, media business models and monetization, creative hubs and regional cluster development, skill development and talent pipelines (linking education with industry), impacts of emerging technologies (AI, XR, gaming) on the creative economy, and evaluations of creative industry support programs or policy interventions.

The above list of topics is not exhaustive. We welcome proposals that explore media workforce development, particularly in-work training, upskilling, and professional development models that support fair work across the media and creative industries. The committee also welcomes submissions with a focus on R&D methodologies and practice-based research closely aligned with industry needs and engagement. If you are unsure whether your topic fits, please contact the organizers.

We invite postgraduate and early career researchers to submit papers for a special session on the future of creative industries research. We welcome work that explores collaboration with industry, assesses partnership impact, or presents case studies bridging academia and practice.

Submission Guidelines

Submission format: authors are invited to submit abstracts of up to 500 words (excluding references) by 16th January 2026.

Submissions should outline the research and contribution to the field or to creative industry development and policy. Submissions should also indicate the relevant conference theme or themes (Green, Fair, Global, Growth, Postgraduate Researcher session). All submissions will be subject to a peer review process.

How to submit: all abstract submissions for the conference will be managed through the Frontiers in Communication Research Topic platform and should be submitted via this page. Please note that Frontiers refers to abstracts as ‘manuscript summaries.’ To submit your abstract, please click “Submit” > “Submit your manuscript summary” and follow the on-screen instructions. Any reference to manuscripts, manuscript submission, and publication fees on this page or within the submission portal should be ignored.

Conference Proceedings and Publication Opportunity

Special issue opportunity: selected authors will be invited to submit a full-length version of their research for publication consideration in a peer-reviewed special issue (Frontiers Research Topic) of Frontiers in Communication, within the journal’s Media, Creative, and Cultural Industries section. Invitations for full paper submissions will be issued following the conference and will be subject to a separate peer review process.

Attendance

Location: Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK (in person)
Conference dates: 14–17 September 2026 

Conference and Showcase Activities

Following the conference, a two-day showcase will highlight the innovations and impact of the Media Cymru programme. Attendees will be invited to explore the latest in sustainable and inclusive media innovation, from immersive storytelling to green production models. The showcase offers valuable opportunities to connect with industry professionals, discover new collaborations, and engage with bold ideas shaping the future of media.

About Media Cymru

Media Cymru is working toward sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the Welsh media sector. Backed by £49 million in funding, including £22 million from UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund and significant investment from government and industry, Media Cymru is a collaborative initiative led by 22 partner organizations.

Bursary Support

A limited number of registration fee waivers will be available for eligible presenters.

For further information or queries about submissions, please contact the organizing committee at mcconf@cardiff.ac.uk.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: creative industries, creative economy, media innovation, sustainability, ED&I, diversity, creative clusters

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.