Liverpool Hope University, Creative Campus, Shaw Street, Liverpool, L6 1HP
The Social Policy Association is pleased to announce that Liverpool will host our 2026 conference, taking place from Wednesday 1st to Friday 3rd July.
The deadline for abstract and symposia submissions is Monday, 16th March 2026.
For queries, contact: spa26@hope.ac.uk
Introduction
The 2026 conference theme, Hope in Dark Times: Resistance and Radical Change, will critically engage with the social, political, and economic challenges of our time, foregrounding innovative and transformative approaches to social policy.
Across 1st – 3rd July 2026, we will convene at the Creative Campus of Liverpool Hope University to foster rigorous debate, interdisciplinary dialogue, and collaborative inquiry. This event seeks to create a unique space in which scholars, practitioners, and activists can interrogate structures of inequality, articulate visions of justice, and consider pathways toward sustainable systemic change.
The conference will feature an outstanding lineup of keynote speakers drawn from the worlds of academia, public health, politics, and third sector, including:
- Guy Standing (Professorial Research Associate at SOAS University of London and founding member and honorary co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN))
- Baroness Ruth Lister (CBE, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at Loughborough University and Labour peer)
- Professor Matthew Ashton (Director of Public Health, Liverpool City Council)
- Ian Byrne MP (West Derby) and Parliamentary lead for The Right To Food Campaign
- Claire Donovan (Director of End Furniture Poverty)
We warmly invite you to join us in exploring how hope, resistance, and radical transformation can reframe possibilities for a more equitable future. The organisers welcome presentations and symposia that engage with these themes and contribute to this important conversation.
Key information
Location
The conference will be hosted on the Creative Campus of Liverpool Hope University on Shaw Street– a centrally located campus. With all sessions and accommodation in modern halls in close proximity, attendees at the conference will find it easy to navigate and make time for networking.
Liverpool is a city that is full of contrast and is a prime example of modern welfare state contradictions, failures, community resilience and resistance. It is also a city with a rich cultural and social history. On the one hand, the troubling legacies of the slave trade and empire, and on the other hand, a strong history of social and industrial activism. The legacy of popular music culture and strong sense of community infuses this city with a dynamic energy. Bringing the SPA conference here will provide a space for novel, critical and multilayered discussions on social issues, policy, and wellbeing.
Liverpool has a rich cultural heritage and it can offer an abundance of attractions and activities. Famously the home of the Beatles and recently the host of the Eurovision Song Contest, Liverpool makes the most of its musical and cultural history with museums, venues and tours dedicated to exposing visitors to this history. There is also a profound social conscience in the city, at the heart of the transatlantic slave trade, the industrial revolution and the neoliberal punishment of Thatcherism. This conscience is marked by places such as the International Slavery Museum, the famous News from Nowhere radical bookshop and The Casa bar, founded by the striking dock workers in the 1990s.
The SPA conference dinner on Wednesday 1st of July will be held at Liverpool Town Hall, and on Thursday 2nd of July our delegates will be provided with a complimentary dinner, drinks and networking opportunities in the premises of the Creative Campus.
Registration to the conference will open at 8am on Wednesday, 1st of July for a conference that starts at 12pm (and a PGR event at 10am). On campus accommodation will be available from Tuesday.
Conference accommodation will be conveniently available at the campus, minutes away from the conference venue. You will be able to book this accommodation as part of your registration process.
Programme
The programme (including information on social events and keynote speakers), conference booklet, FAQs, and venue access statements will be available in due course.
Abstract submission
We welcome abstract submission via Oxford Abstracts for individual papers and symposia from now on, via these links:
Note: In addition to single papers, we welcome proposals for symposia, whereby three or more papers linked to a particular theme are submitted together for consideration. Symposia proposals will need to be submitted by the panel organiser, who should then send an email invitation to contributors that abstracts for papers that are part of that symposia should be submitted.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, 16th March 2026.
Notifications of acceptance will be issued on a rolling basis, at the latest by 17th April 2026.
Contact: For any questions, please contact the conference organisers via spa26@hope.ac.uk
Social Media
Follow the official conference social media account on Bluesky: spa26.bsky.social
Postgraduate and Early-Career Event Details
The SPA invites postgraduate students and early career researchers to two pre-conference events. On the evening of 30st June we will host a pre-conference social. This is a relaxed, informal chance to meet, chat, and connect before the conference. Full details and tickets via Eventbrite coming soon.
We are also hosting another pre-conference session “Bridging Worlds: Knowledge Exchange Across Academic and Policy Borders”, running 10am-12pm on 1st July. This panel session is specifically designed to equip ECRs and PGRs with the essential knowledge and strategies needed for engaging effectively with policymakers, translating research into real world impact, and positioning themselves at the academic policy interface.
And if you’re a PGR/ECR presenting at the conference, you can now opt in to receive friendly, constructive feedback on your SPA presentation. Just fill out this form to take part!
We are also looking for senior and mid-career colleagues who may like to provide feedback. Please sign up here if you would like to volunteer.
Fees and Registration
You can register for the conference here
The fee categories are below. The early bird rate will end on Friday, 17th April 2026.
Conference registration closes on Friday, 19th June 2026.
On campus accommodation booking ends on Friday, 5th June 2026.
The student accommodation is situated in Gerard Manley Hopkins Hall, a modern purpose built hall. Rooms have a single bed, wardrobe, study area, chair, drawers and shelves, plus an en-suite shower room and toilet. Bedding, towels are provided and guests would need to bring their own toiletries. Please note there is no lift access within the Gerard Manley Hopkins Hall. A number of accessible rooms are located on the ground floor, there is a staircase to floors above.
SPA Members, Early Bird (offered until 17th April)
Conference fee (including dinner, and drinks reception): £370
Accommodation, Creative Campus, Bed & Breakfast per night: £70
SPA Members, Full Fee (after 17th of April)
Conference fee:£410
Accommodation, Creative Campus, Bed & Breakfast per night: £70
Postgraduate Research Students/ECRs* (SPA members) /
Non-affiliated ECRs (SPA members)
Conference fee (including dinner, and drinks reception):£310
Accommodation, Creative Campus, Bed & Breakfast per night: £70
Non-SPA Members, Full Fee
Conference fee: £565
Accommodation, Creative Campus, Bed & Breakfast per night: £75
SPA Members, Day delegate packages
Wednesday 1st of July with dinner: £310
Wednesday 1st July without dinner: £250
Thursday 2nd of July: £250
Friday 3rd of July: £210
Accommodation,Creative Campus per night: £70
Non – SPA Members, Day delegate packages
Wednesday 1st July with dinner: £460
Wednesday 1st July without dinner: £380
Thursday 2nd July: £390
Friday 3rd: £370
Accommodation, Creative Campus, Bed & Breakfast per night: £75
Postgraduate Research Students/ ECRs*, Day delegate packages
Wednesday 1st of July with dinner: £260
Wednesday 1st July without dinner: £200
Thursday 2nd July: £210
Friday 3rd: £160
Note: The Early Career Transition rate is for two years after a members’ PhD graduation date (i.e graduated after 1st July 2024).
Contact: For any questions, please contact the conference organisers via spa26@hope.ac.uk
Image credits: Natalija Atas