ÌÇÐÄVlog

Introducing occupational science

Occupational science aims to generate knowledge about human occupation, extending beyond paid work to include all everyday activities. It is an inter-disciplinary science investigating how our occupations shape how we live, as individuals, communities, and populations.

Occupational science research has generated knowledge and understanding of how people organise their daily occupations over the life course, expressing personal and sociocultural meanings. The relationship between occupation and context, and experiences of occupation, are also of interest. You can read more about recent occupational science research in the .

Background

Many academic disciplines are concerned with understanding particular aspects of human activities, for example economic theories, structures of societies, diverse cultures or details of anatomy. Occupational science was formally founded by occupational therapists in the late 1980s to bring occupation into central focus in a foundational science. They aimed to foster interdisciplinary studies, concerned with how the things people do in their everyday lives influence and are influenced by their health and well-being.

Since its inception, occupational science has extended beyond this focus on health, for example to develop concepts of occupation and offer critical perspectives on participation. Occupational science conferences and journals aim to include emerging interdisciplinary understandings of the things we do (occupations), the way we do them (form), their purposes (function) and their significance (meaning).

We are excited to announce a Special Issue of the Journal of Occupational Science (JOS): Visions and Realities - Exploring tensions in what we do and how we live. This special issue will present work and thinking that emerges from the 2025 conference. Anyone who has presented work at the conference, as well as others who have developed work that aligns with the conference themes (see below), is invited to submit a manuscript for review, for consideration for publication in the JOS.

The Special Issue continues the fruitful collaboration between OSE and JOS, which has enabled three previous special issues: 

• ; 
• ; and 
• Situated occupation in everyday life: Towards environmental, economic, social inclusiveness and sustainability, JOS 32(2).

The focus of the upcoming special issue, visions and realities, encourages global thinking and contributions, with potential reference to indigenous knowledge systems, social critical theories, sustainable development goals, and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights.

Submissions for this special issue may be theoretical, educational, or research based, and should align with at least one of the following conference themes: 

• Transformation through participation: How can emerging knowledge about participation in occupations transform our shared understanding
• Negotiating social citizenship, rights, and responsibilities: How do inclusive approaches focused on what we do uphold our human rights
• Decolonising occupational science: How can we co-create and sustain critical dialogues for local and global benefits?
• Sustainable environments for all: What do systematic investigations of occupation contribute to a vision of sustainability, especially in relation to people who are seldom heard and marginalised?

The vision for this special issue is to bring together a variety of interdisciplinary topics with different perspectives of interest to the international occupational science community and beyond.

Guest editors

• Simone Coetzee, (ÌÇÐÄVlog, United Kingdom)
• Georg Gappmayer, (University of Applied Sciences FH Campus Wien, Austria)
• Anna Pettican, (ÌÇÐÄVlog, United Kingdom)

Deadline for submissions

10th January 2026

Wendy Bryant

Wendy is an Honorary Professor at the ÌÇÐÄVlog and has recently published a book on her innovative approach, which is informed by the concept of occupational balance. The approach is based on her personal experience of living with chronic illness, as well as her professional experiences as an occupational scientist and occupational therapist. Wendy is also known for her research relating to mental health day services and . Wendy will be talking to our Transformation through participation theme.

Lisette Farias Vera

is an Assistant Professor and Docent at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Occupational Science. Her critically examined the epistemological foundations and discourses shaping occupation-based scholarship. In recent years, her research has focused on health promotion related to and , using critical health qualitative inquiry. She teaches occupational science at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, integrating , , and perspectives. Lisette will be talking to our Decolonising occupational science theme.

Susan Buckingham

is a writer, researcher, consultant, campaigner, and activist, and she also edits the . Susan’s work develops the understanding of links between gender and environment and applies this to different contexts. Most recently this has been in the UN Decade for Ocean Sustainability and through consultancies with the European Commission, including the European Institute for Gender Equality. She has edited and written extensively and is currently writing a book on Ecofeminism. She has co-edited 'Feminist Climate Leadership' which is currently in press. As an activist-academic, Susan worked with women’s organisations, and was a trustee and collaborator with Women’s Environmental Network from 2000-2012. Susan co-founded in 2020 which campaigns against destructive, masculinist planning and water pollution practices which are destroying the chalk streams of South East England. She is also an activist in climate and social justice campaigns. Susan will be talking to our Sustainable environments for all theme.

Mya-Rose Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 22-year-old British-Bangladeshi birder, race activist and environmentalist campaigning for equal access to nature, to stop biodiversity loss and climate change, and to ensure global climate justice, all of which she believes are closely interlinked. In June 2022 Mya-Rose’s book Birdgirl was published by Vintage Books and has recently been nominated for the Jhalak Prize. In it she shares the impact on her own mental health of growing up with a mother affected by severe bipolar disorder, how nature helped them cope as a family, and how she found joy and her voice through birding. Her first book, We Have a Dream, highlights 30 young global environmentalists of colour and was nominated in the British Book Awards 2022 and her children’s book Flight was published in June by Puffin.

When Mya-Rose was 11, she started her popular Birdgirl blog and at age 14 she launched the charity Black2Nature, which focuses on engaging Visible Minority Ethnic communities with nature. At age 17, she became the youngest person to see half the world’s bird species, and also to receive an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Bristol in recognition of her pioneering campaigning work. In February 2020 she shared a stage with Greta Thunberg in front of 40,000 protestors and in September of that year she travelled to the Arctic with Greenpeace, for whom she is an Oceans Ambassador, and took part in the most northerly Youth Strike for Climate. In November 2021 she spoke at COP26 on a panel with Emma Watson, Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai. 

The other causes closest to her heart are connecting people to nature so that they can care about fighting to avert the climate crisis. She campaigns against palm oil and plastic pollution, and she fights for the prioritisation of the human rights of indigenous peoples as a Survival International Ambassador. Her activism is informed by a life-long love of birds and the fight against racism. She writes articles and delivers speeches and talks as well as appearing on TV and in the media. Mya-Rose is also an Oxfam, Greenpeace and The Wildlife Trusts Ambassador. Mya-Rose will be talking to our Negotiating social citizenship, rights, and responsibilities theme.

On Thursday 21st August there are three strands of pre-conference workshops for attendees to choose from, which can be purchased for £34.75 via the Booking/registration section below. Pre-conference attendance is inclusive of parking, coffee break refreshments, and a buffet lunch.

Please note that places are currently available across all three, but they are limited and being offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

After you have paid, you will be sent a booking link to book onto the strand of activity that you choose, and within that booking process you will also have the opportunity to state any dietary and access needs. All pre-conference activities are being held within the ÌÇÐÄVlog Business School, the same location as the main conference.

Strand One

• One whole day workshop: The International Social Transformation Through Occupation Network (ISTTON) - A Collective Critical Analysis and Positioning of Actions for Social Transformation (60 places)
• Time: 10:00-16:00
• Room: EBS.2.34 (+ breakout rooms)
• Ryan Lavalley, Aline Godoy-Vieira, Debbie Laliberte Rudman, Sarah Kantartzis, Susan Rappolt, Heidi Laukner, Joy Agner & Nicholas Pollard

For those who seek to advance social transformation through occupation by employing research, practice, activism, and volunteer experiences, it is essential to continually critically reflect on initiatives and programs through theoretical-methodological analysis that asks: What social transformation is being produced and towards what kind of society? The first aim of this workshop is to instigate a critical collaborative analysis of initiatives - and the occupation(s) they hope to mobilize for social transformation. The second aim, through large group discussion, is to articulate questions, values, and principles that drive social transformation work. This is expected to be an initial step towards the development of potential frameworks within the International Social Transformation Through Occupation Network (ISTTON) to regularly examine assumptions and values related to social transformation, methods, and evaluation.

Workshop facilitators will open dialogue by critically examining two initiatives currently underway, identifying key questions and analytical approaches that reveal facilitatory or problematic qualities of the projects’ processes. Facilitators will then invite participants to form small groups to examine additional example projects. The objective will be to create an authentic and supportive space for critique and interrogation based on presented analytical frames of initiatives oriented toward social transformation through occupation. Rooting this objective in concrete initiatives allows for clearer examinations while instigating important discussions about how to evaluate this work and its underlying values. The intention is to foster analytical capacities to examine social transformation initiatives while generating concrete actions to support current work underway. Everyone interested in the topic is welcome.

Strand Two

• One whole day workshop: Hand-stitching as resistance (20 places)
• Time: 10:00-16:00
• Room: EBS.2.66
• Jennifer Creek

This workshop gives participants an opportunity to identify a social issue they feel strongly about and to create a stitched item that expresses resistance (Wellesley-Smith 2021). Each person will make their own stitched piece and take it away with them. Simple hand-sewing skills are required, but support is available throughout the workshop. All materials will be provided.

Part 1:

This begins with an introduction to the concept of sewing as resistance, illustrated with past and present real-life examples. Participants are then invited to brainstorm social issues they are concerned about or situations they would like to influence. As a group, they will discuss what personal and/ or social difference it could make to express their concern through stitching an object.

Part 2:

A variety of sewing materials and hand-sewing tools will be available; each participant is asked to choose one social issue to address and to select the materials they want to use. People will be encouraged to discuss what they could make as a group and the facilitator will offer suggestions as needed. Each person works on their own project; they are free to talk or work quietly during the session.

Part 3:

Participants are invited to show what they have made to the group and talk about what the experience means to them. At the end of the discussion, the facilitator will summarise the themes that have emerged.

Strand Three

Two half-day workshops (am and pm – 25 places):

(am) Introduction to the Model of Occupational Wholeness (MOW) and its application in practice

• Time: 10:00-13:00
• Room EBS.2.65
• Farzaneh Yazdani

The Model of Occupational Wholeness was developed based on a series of research projects investigating the concept of Occupational Balance and its application in practice. MOW is a new way of Exploring, Re- Thinking and Re- Planning occupations (Doings) that leads to a balanced life from the perspective of the Doer. MOW introduces the Harmony between Doings that meet the needs for Being, Belonging and Becoming in different Contexts of one’s life as a contributing factor to one’s health and wellbeing.

MOW focuses on the sense of Wholeness as an outcome of meeting Being, Belonging and Becoming needs through Doings. MOW also provides a tool to co-develop a Narrative that demonstrates one’s Actual and Ideal Doings and the way the Incongruence between the two and the Meaning Making of the Congruence/Incongruence would impact one’s sense of Wholeness and in turn health and wellbeing. The workshop aims at introducing the concepts and principles of MOW and its applications in different settings and with different populations through scenarios.

(pm) Visual methods along a continuum of doing, being, belonging and becoming: A workshop about partnering with older persons in research

• Time: 14:00-16:00
• Room: EBS.2.65
• Eric Asaba, Qarin Lood, Urša Braun, Anneliese Lilienthal, Roar Hermansen Østby & Afsaneh Taei.

Background: Forming research partnerships with older persons, or those working with older persons, who are directly impacted by the research is central to inclusivity and challenging dominant narratives contributing to disparities or epistemic injustices. Visual methods can contribute to actively engaging (doing), reflected and shared experiences (being), a sense of connection (belonging), and seeing possibilities (becoming).

Aims: This workshop aims to address challenges and lessons learned from empirical and review projects utilizing visual methods such as photovoice, photo elicitation, and sketching with older persons in community and residential care settings.

Method: The workshop will commence with aims and goals followed by an overview of visual methods.  Next, rapid-fire presentations to trigger discussion will draw from projects in which visual methods and aging are intersected in topics such as migration, depopulated areas, frailty, sketching as method, and artistic design in residential care facilities. Results from a scoping review will be shared. Workshop reflection questions can include: Does it matter how we generate visual data? How do we create safe spaces? How do we ensure dialog? How can visual methods contribute to the evolving nature of research participation?

Workshop outcomes: After this workshop, participants will have: 1) gained insights into the power and relevance of visual methods in research with older persons, 2) reasoned about strengths, limitations, and everyday ethics in relation to different areas and contexts of research on aging and health, 3) discussed practical utility and relevance of visual methods for occupational science practice spanning research and education.

We are delighted to have accepted 189 abstracts for OSE 2025. This comprises 126 paper presentations, 22 workshops and 41 posters.

We are now working to develop the main conference programme, and we will make this available here as soon as we can.

If you have had an abstract accepted for presentation within the main OSE 2025 conference programme, it will be for either a 15-minute oral presentation, 55-minute interactive workshop, or a poster.

We will shortly be making available here guidance and requirements for each of these presentation formats.

We are deliberately including elements of ‘unconferencing’ within the OSE 2025 conference programme. We hope this will provide a more inclusive learning environment, which will foster critical discussion and reflections amongst delegates, as a distinct departure from some of the more conventional conference sessions and activities.

Such ‘unconferencing’ spaces will also provide the opportunity to take part in, and connect with others through, a range of informal occupations as part of learning together (Aldrich et al, 2021). We have also made a deliberate decision to omit people's titles from the event information and delegate name badges. We intend that this will facilitate a more democratic conference space and foster equitable connections.

• Aldrich RM, Galvaan R, Gerlach AJ, Laliberte Rudman D, Magalhaes L, Pollard N, Farias L (2021) Promoting critically informed learning and knowing about occupation through conference engagements. Journal of Occupational Science, 29(4): . 

Booking and payment

Conference registration and booking is , but please note that it will close on Monday 21st July 2025 to allow sufficient time for planning. You will need to pay upfront and by bank card when registering. There is also the option to purchase evening meal and social event tickets, please see further details of these in the Conference social events section below. All conference items are bookable and purchasable .

Registration fees

Registration fee amounts are as follows and apply to all attendees, including presenters:

• Pre-conference workshops day delegate attendance (inclusive of parking, coffee break refreshments, and buffet lunch) - £34.75 GBP.
• Two-day concessionary conference delegate attendance (student and/or from low-income country) - £145 GBP (To determine if you are from a low income country please visit: . This price is inclusive of parking, coffee break refreshments, and buffet lunch)
• Two-day full price conference delegate (inclusive of parking, coffee break refreshments, and buffet lunch) - £220 GBP

Funding for conference attendance

The Elizabeth Casson Trust provides funding to support occupational therapists with conference attendance, and they are open to both UK and international applicants.

Their upcoming funding round has a deadline of 31st March 2025, with the outcome notified by 15th May 2025. Please for more information and to apply. To facilitate applications to this round of funding, we will notify of submitted abstract review outcomes by 21st March 2025.

Cancellation and refund policies

• Cancellations made prior to 1st June 2025: A full refund minus an administrative charge of £50.00.
• Cancellations made between 1st June and 21st July 2025: A fifty percent charge or refund of fifty percent.
• Cancellations made after 21st July 2025: No refund to be made.
• Registered delegates will be entitled to claim a full refund in the event of the conference being cancelled by the ÌÇÐÄVlog.
• Registered participants with unsuccessful visa attempts will be entitled to claim a full refund.
• Extenuating circumstances will be considered at the organiser’s discretion.

The OSE 2025 conference will be held at the ÌÇÐÄVlog Colchester campus, with easy public transport links to London (approximately a one hour journey). If you are travelling to the UK from elsewhere, please check if you require . We are aiming to offer an entirely ‘on campus’ conference experience for those who want it, in terms of conference, accommodation, eating, and social event options all being available on the University campus without any need for additional travel. Please see sections above and below for further details and booking in relation to these options.

However, if people prefer alternatives the nearest small town (Wivenhoe) is about one mile/1.5km from the University, where there are a small number of places to eat and socialise. The nearest city is Colchester, which is approximately five miles/8kms away from the University.

The conference and the pre-conference workshops day will both take place in our ÌÇÐÄVlog Business School building: A truly unique, and flexible space; its zero carbon credentials reinforce the message of how we are all responsible for responding to the climate emergency our planet is in. Against the backdrop of its tropical garden, it offers multiple spaces to host delegates and network. It is also equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology.

There are two accommodation options on our Colchester campus, both are within easy walking distance of the conference venue:

•  - when booking please quote code OSE2025 to ensure your room is in the same block as other OSE 2025 delegates. (Please note that this accommodation is in unoccupied student accommodation, so rooms are single ensuite rooms, only suitable for one person. However, if a couple are looking to come together, we can arrange that they have rooms next to each other or as close as possible).
• - An elegant 18th Century four-star country house hotel on the University campus.

Wivenhoe is the closest town to the University, where there are other accommodation options. It is possible to walk from Wivenhoe to the conference venue and there are also regular buses. The nearest train station to the conference venue is Hythe, but there is also a train station in Wivenhoe.

More information about places to stay and things to do in ÌÇÐÄVlog can be found on the .

We have arranged two social events for the evening of Friday 22nd August, to provide choice and enable delegates to unwind and continue to network on the University campus, within easy walking distance of the conference venue and the two accommodation options detailed in the section above. These are two meals at Wivenhoe House and Fusion East on Friday evening as we cannot fit all delegates into one venue.

Both meal options are available to purchase via the conference booking/registration section above, where you will also be able to select from the below menu choices and express any dietary needs. They will both start at 6:30pm, with food being served at 7:00pm. Please note that to go ahead the Wivenhoe house meal requires a minimum of 100 bookings.

(£49.69 for a three-course meal, drinks not included):

• Starter options: (1) Smoked Salmon with Capers, Chervil and Lemon Dressing, (2) Vegetarian Tomato Soup and Crusty Bread, (3) Vegan Falafel Flatbread, Harissa Mayo, Red Onion, Rocket Pesto.
• Main course options: (1) Breast of Chicken, Potato Fondant, Wild Mushroom Sauce, Seasonal Vegetables, (2) Vegetarian Roasted Squash Gnocchi, Wilted Rocket, Sage Crisps, Shaved Cheese, or (3) Vegan Wild Mushroom, Spinach and Garlic Wellington, Roast Potatoes, Root Vegetables, Gravy.
• Dessert options: (1) Chocolate Brownie, Marshmallow, Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Cream, (2) Glazed Lemon Tart, Berries, Chantilly Cream (3) Vegan fruit salad.

Fusion East (£25.00 for a three-course meal, drinks not included):

• Starter options: (1) Vegan Tofu Salad, (2) Vegan Mini Vegetable Spring Rolls, or (3) Vegan Vegetable Gyozaq Dumplings.
• Main course options: (1) Chicken Katsu Curry, (2) Vegan Sweet Potato Katsu Curry, or (3) Vegan Tofu Teriyaki.
• Dessert options: (1) Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream Mochi, (2) Vegan Fruit Salad with Mango Couli, or (3) Vegetarian Pistachio Kheer

From 8pm of the evening of Friday 22nd August, we have hired the University bar for our exclusive use and there will also be music to dance to. Tickets for this are £12 and all are welcome, regardless of whether you are also purchasing one of the evening meal options.

All social event items are purchasable via the Booking/registration and payment section above.

The call for abstracts for OSE 2025 has now closed.