2026 VATE State Conference: Call for participation

2026 VATE State Conference: Ode to Joy

Deakin University, Burwood - Thursday 19 November and Friday 20 November 2026


Call for participation open now

Please complete by midday Friday 1 May 2026

The 2026 VATE State Conference – Ode to Joy – is a celebration of the work of English teachers that is joyful, playful, experimental and human. A tribute to work that reflects bold choices, twists, turns and the collective delight of students, colleagues and community. An expression of the quiet and the loud joys of the profession and of the deep, purposeful and enjoyable learning that springs from human connection. Classrooms are places of discovery, where joy lives, creativity grows and where we delight in the intellectual activity of teaching and shared pleasure of language. Ode to Joy invites teachers to seize and 'opportunity for creative transformation' and reacquaint themselves with the joys inherent in subject English that are fuelled by passion, collaboration and authenticity. Read the full conference theme here.

Ode to Joy will be delivered in-person over two days – Thursday 19 November and Friday 20 November – at Deakin University Burwood. To ensure equity of access, a portion of our program will be selected for livestream. VATE invites proposals for 60-minute workshops to assist members to explore the 2026 State Conference theme 'Ode to Joy' through one of our conference strands:

Creative alchemy
This strand celebrates storytelling. We invite proposals for workshops that bring together ideas, emotions and experiences for authentic learning; support students’ reading engagement; offer ideas for building literacy skills; share strategies that help to foster a love of reading (in both students and teachers); showcase opportunities for genuine creative writing and imaginative thinking; and activities that tickle the intellectual muscle – and funny bone – of what it means to teach English.

Joie de vivre
This strand invites teachers to share the joy, creativity, curiosity and expression that is being fostered in their classroom. We encourage proposals for workshops that highlight pedagogy, curriculum and assessment that is grounded in joy; sequences and units of work that cultivate joy and bring energy to the classroom; playful (re)imaginings of English teaching staples; and sharing the pleasure of creative routines and processes.

Oh friends, no more of these sounds! Let us sing more cheerful songs!
This strand explores the importance of connection and community in English teaching. We welcome proposals for workshops that support collaborative problem solving; facilitate collegial conversation; celebrate the quiet and loud (unsung) joys of English teaching; and detail innovative ways to use joy to connect students and colleagues.

Abstracts of no more than 100 words can be submitted here. Your abstract should:

  • Address the conference theme

  • Outline the aims of the workshop

  • Articulate what delegates will do in the workshop

  • A selection of sample workshop abstracts can be viewed here.

Workshop proposals can be submitted via this Google Form.

 

New for 2026: Panel Pitch

For the first time, VATE is welcoming submissions for 60-minute panels that align with the 2026 State Conference theme – Ode to Joy. The role of the panels at the State Conference is to bring together a range of voices, experiences and perspectives to explore, discuss and grapple with current educational questions in a dialogic and responsive format.

Submit a proposal that sparks thinking, highlights classroom practice, or opens the floor for big questions around English pedagogy. We welcome creative concepts that inspire joy, share diverse voices, empower teachers, and illuminate the classroom experience for both teachers and students.

There will be two panels slots available on Friday 20 November 2026. 

Abstracts of no more than 300 words can be submitted here. Your abstract should:

  • Address the conference theme.

  • Outline the aims of the panel.

  • List the name and email address of up to three other speakers.

  • A sample panel abstracts can be viewed here.

A short biography of no more than 50 words per speaker should also be provided. This information will appear in the State Conference program.

Panel pitches can be submitted via this Google Form.