We invite proposals for presentations at the convention on any subject related to circus history. Papers/presentations by a single speaker should be limited to 25 minutes including questions. Panel/group presentations should be limited to 45 minutes including questions. All presentations should be delivered in person. However, consideration will be given for the delivery of a limited number of single speaker presentations via Zoom.

Presenters must register and provide for their own travel and lodging expenses. Discounted registration fees are available for Circus Historical Society members, for full-time academics and students, and for online-only attendees. Presenters will be given an opportunity to sell and sign their books during the convention at no charge and to meet with our editors about publishing an article about their topic in Bandwagon: The Journal of the Circus Historical Society. For additional information about the convention, click here.

How to submit a proposal

All proposals for presentations, except those by students who will be submitting papers in consideration for the Circus Historical Society Student Prize, must be submitted through a special Google Form. Please have your presentation title, short description (150 words or less), and brief bio (150 words or less) ready to submit on the form.

Deadline for proposals

Proposals must be received by June 1, 2025. Proposals submitted after that day and/or submitted via email will not be accepted. The Convention committee will review proposals and notify presenters in June. Click here to submit your proposal.       

Note: While we will do our best to accommodate all proposals, there are a limited number of time slots available. Please consider submitting your proposal soon! Proposals cannot be considered after the deadline.

Circus Historical Society Student Prize

This year, we will award a prize for the best paper submitted by an active undergraduate or graduate student who is enrolled at a college or university at the time of the Convention. The Circus Historical Society Student Prize will celebrate a paper’s quality of research and writing, applicability to circus history studies, and documentation. The winning paper must be presented in person at the Convention to claim the award.

Submissions must be sent in MS Word or PDF format using the form below by June 1, 2025. Please ensure submissions meet the following requirements and submit 3 separate attachments:

• Paper with no identifying information about the student
• Cover sheet as a separate file with the full name, contact information (address, phone, email), academic affiliation, and student type
• Photo or scan of the student ID card

Click here to submit your paper for the Circus Historical Society Student Prize. Please note: for security, the submission form requires login to Gmail (personal or institutional) to upload attachments. Though it is our preference that all submissions are sent via this form, if you do not have a Gmail address, please email your 3 attachments to president@circushistory.org with subject line “CIRCUS HISTORICAL SOCIETY STUDENT PRIZE.”  

The Prize selection committee will review the papers and notify the winning student in June. Please submit any further questions to president@circushistory.org