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Cultures Croisées: French-Australian Cultural Connections

Exploring the Dynamics of Intercultural Exchange - Call for Papers



The 2025 Symposium organised by the Institute for the Study of French-Australian Relations (ISFAR) will be held on Friday 2 May and Saturday 3 May. While the majority of the sessions will be online, we are keeping open the possibility of a hybrid keynote session to be held in Melbourne in conjunction with a conference dinner. Certain sessions will be timetabled to ensure that colleagues overseas can participate.

The theme of the Symposium addresses the many and diverse cultural exchanges between France and Australia that have shaped both nations over centuries of migration, artistic collaborations and intellectual cross-pollination. This rich history of interaction has not only influenced the cultural landscapes of both nations but has also contributed to a deeper understanding of each other’s societies.

Recent publications by ISFAR members have shed light on the significant influence of French culture, thought, and society on many aspects of Australian life: John West-Sooby’s What Have the French Ever Done for Us (Wakefield, 2024) and Alexis Bergantz’s French Connection: Australia's Cosmopolitan Ambitions (NewSouth, 2021). Building on the historical and conceptual frameworks and the diverse case studies presented in these works, this Symposium invites papers that further explore areas where French influence has been felt in Australia. Additionally, we encourage contributions that shift the focus to examine the sometimes overlooked presence of Australia in French society and culture.

We also welcome papers that address other topics within the field of French-Australian relations. Proposals are welcome from academics, research students, curators and other arts professionals, and independent scholars. Postgraduate and Honours students are encouraged to apply for the Colin Nettelbeck Award, details below.

Subject to the usual review process, a selection of papers from the Symposium will be published in The French Australian Review.

Possible Topics for Submission

Under the broad theme of the conference, submissions may include but are not limited to the following areas:

  • Migrants and Transmigrants: The impact of migration between France, French territories, and Australia.

  • Art and Literature: Artistic and literary movements, and the role of individual artists and writers, including First Nations practitioners.

  • Architecture: The influence of French architects and architectural practices in Australia.

  • Performing Arts: Collaborations and exchanges in music, film, and theatre, including in production and reception.

  • Popular Culture: Expressions of Francophilia in Australia and Australophilia in France.

  • Industry and Technology: Innovations and collaborations, such as those in viticulture.

  • Education: The experiences of school and university exchanges, in-country study programs.

  • Intellectuals: The influence of French theory in Australian academic and intellectual circles for example.

  • Tourism: The mutual impact of tourism between the two countries.

  • Fashion: The exchange of fashion trends and practices, the fashion industry and related industries.

  • War and Diplomacy: Shared histories of conflict and cooperation, especially their cultural legacies.

  • Linguistic Borrowings: lexical adoptions and language adaptation.

  • Translation: The role of translation in bridging cultural gaps.

  • Sporting Encounters: French and Australian sporting competitions and the culture of sport in the two countries.

  • Religious Influences: Religious orders and education, missionary activities, and the role of religion in personal and private life.

Please send a 150-200 word abstract and a brief cv (>100 words) to the co-chairs of the ISFAR Research Committee by 30 December 2024:


The Colin Nettelbeck Award ($500), to finance travel for research or conference attendance, will be awarded to an Honours or Postgraduate student whose paper is accepted for the Symposium. Candidates for the award should send, together with their abstract and cv, a brief explanation of the purpose to which the funds will be put and details of any institutional support they may receive for that project. Criteria for the award include the quality of the abstract, the relevance of the paper to the themes of the Symposium and the degree of financial support already available to the candidate. The Research Committee’s decision, including the decision whether to make an award, will be final. The award will be announced by mid-March 2025.




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