While the term ‘participatory culture’ is new, what it describes is not necessarily a new phenomenon. Its roots are deeply embedded in the traditions of Ancient Greece and are profoundly intertwined with the concept of democracy. The idea of participation has been strongly present in every revolution, revolt, uprising, rebellion, strike or other cultural means for influencing the politics, structural organization of society, or its lifestyles throughout history.

With the use of new technologies, innovative ways of communication have been established, helping people to connect on the basis of cultural, political or other interests, regardless of their geographic and even social remoteness. The technological tools of participatory culture and their advantages, therefore, open the possibility of new forms of civic engagement, as well as a new concept of engaged, active citizenship. In addition, new forms of expressing concern, involvement and responsibility have emerged.

Participants of this so­called Culture 2.0 share knowledge, collectively solve problems, and develop skills and competencies important for the life in the world of new technologies, contemporary workplaces and the globalized (and digitalized) sphere of political reality.

The conference will address a variety of issues as:

• participatory models of cultural engagement
• democracy and active citizenship
• revolt, uprising, rebellion through participation
• emerging or renewed forms of civic participation and engagement
• collective problem solving and risk preventing within the realms of the social, the political, and everyday life
• models of individual and collective self­expression and self­realisation
• challenges of the participatory gap
• shared processes of cultural creation and their results
• accessibility of new technologies and their use
• possibilities and effects of new social media in education, cultural, media and functional literacy, creativity, social order, action, and more
• participatory (citizen, civic, grassroots) journalism
• modes and models of consumption and production
• representation of participatory culture in literature and other modes of artistic expression

We invite scholars, students, journalists and other professionals from different fields of social sciences and humanities to share their ideas on Participatory Culture and the Future of Democracy in the international interdisciplinary conference hosted by the Institute of Journalism, Media and Social Communication of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland), in cooperation with the A priori Academic Association (Slovenia).