Internationally-acclaimed conference to be hosted by Leeds Beckett University

The annual Leisure Studies Association (LSA) Conference, which is being held this year at Liverpool John Moores University from Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 July, brings together academics, students, practitioners, policy makers and professionals who work within leisure, sports, tourism and events to discuss and exchange ideas on contemporary leisure issues.

The event, which was last hosted by Leeds Beckett in 2010, will aim to explore the social role of leisure processes in an everyday context.

Dr Thomas Fletcher, Senior Lecturer in Events, Tourism and Hospitality at Leeds Beckett University, explained: "We are delighted that Leeds Beckett will once again host the Leisure Studies Association Conference.  Leeds Beckett University has a long history and strong reputation in the field of Leisure Studies; with many of those responsible for the development of Leisure Studies over the years being based here.

“Our theme of 'Enacting leisure, reclaiming leisure' aims to be truly multi-disciplinary, which we hope will attract attendees from a range of fields and interests, both nationally and internationally.

“Whilst the event is a year away, we encourage people to save the date and register their interest now at http://bit.ly/29g0BIl.”

Due to take place from Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 July 2017, organisers of the event are calling for the submission of papers concerned with any of the following four areas:

• Enacting leisure: identities, lifestyles and play
• Spaces of leisure
• Leisure and social justice
• Leisure mobilities

For more information about the conference or submitting papers email LSA2017@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

Dr Fletcher added: “Leisure is a fundamental part of human culture, contributing to both personal health and the maintenance of social life. However, it is greatly contested, constrained and constructed.  The conference will allow people within the subject field, and those looking at leisure from other subject fields, to re-claim leisure as a subject of thinking, theorising, researching and doing.