Keynotes & Plenary

Bannon Lecture Keynote: Announcement Coming Soon!

Our opening Bannon Lecture keynote presentation will feature a discussion on the following -

Governments around the world, especially in the US and Europe, have taken steps to significantly reduce funding for public goods that make leisure possible for people who otherwise would not be able to afford it:

• Public libraries closing or reducing hours

• Municipal swimming pools and recreation centers shutting down or being privatized

• Arts councils cutting funding  

• Park maintenance deferment

• Community sports facilities transferred to private operators or closed

• Youth services and after-school programs defunded

The result is that leisure becomes tiered in that those who can afford private space, subscription services, paid experiences, and travel get more and higher "quality" leisure. Those who relied on public supports and spaces get less. This is a measurable shift in how leisure is distributed across society.

Plenary Talk: Announcement Coming Soon!

The Plenary session will focus on the impact of the closing of public schools and limitations of placed on those in teaching and learning spaces.