Conference

Dancecult Conference – 16th and 17th September 2021

Register free here: https://hopin.com/events/dancecult-conference-2021

Call for Proposals NOW CLOSED – Reconnecting Global Dance Cultures

We are delighted to announce the call for proposals for Dancecult’s inaugural conference on the theme of ‘Reconnecting Global Dance Cultures’, to be held online on the 16th and 17th September 2021. From dancehall to raving, club cultures to sound systems, disco to techno, breakbeat to psytrance, hip hop to dubstep, IDM to noisecore, nortec to bloghouse, global EDMCs have all been affected by recent events. As we move out of the pandemic into yet another moment of global uncertainty, we seek to capture the experiences of our communities as we now look ahead to a new era for dance culture. What effect has the pandemic had on these formations? What lies ahead for clubs and festivals and how can they prepare for future disruptions? How have producers and clubbers adapted during the enforced digital migration? How can the industry and producers take advantage of these current paradigms and foster new connections with fans and between communities?

Key Dates and Submission Details

  • Deadline for abstract submissions: Friday 2nd July 2021  Extended until Friday 9th July, 4pm UTC
  • Notification of acceptance: Friday 30th July 2021
  • Deadline for registration: Friday 10th September 2021

In response to current challenges and continuing public health concerns the conference will take place virtually on September 16th and 17th, 2021. Whilst we are accepting submissions on any aspect of dance music and culture, we particularly welcome proposals for individual papers and panels (up to five individuals) on research related to the following areas:

  • Pandemic Era Dance, Music and Culture: What’s new? What works? What needs to change?
  • Clubs, festivals and event-cultures in the context of COVID-19.
  • Industry perspectives on technological developments: from the dynamics of Spotify to the potential of crypto music.
  • Performance, virtual performance and DiY events.
  • How scenes, movements, artists and genres are surviving in the post-COVID world.
  • Dance events and legislations – compliance or non-compliance with COVID infection control strategies and regulations

Alongside scholarly discourse we are keen to provide a platform for sharing the experiences and opinions of venue owners, festival organisers, producers and DJs and other industry representatives. This could potentially involve the formation of a panel discussion discussing recent activities, especially how they have coped financially and adapted over the previous 12-18 months.

All proposals will be peer-reviewed after submission to our form here: https://bit.ly/DancecultCalls2021 Please submit your proposals no later than 2nd July 2021. Submissions for papers of 15-20 minutes in length should include a 300-word abstract that states the paper’s goals, summarizes the context and argument and includes a brief conclusion. Panel discussions, consisting of a moderated conversation with 3 – 5 participants, require a single 300 word abstract and a list of panel members, and should designate one person as the panel chair. Include 5 keywords to identify the theme of your proposal.

Select conference contributions will be considered for publication in the Nov 2022 issue of Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture.

Submit your proposals here: https://bit.ly/DancecultCalls2021

About Dancecult

The Dancecult conference is organised by the editorial team for our peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal for the study of electronic dance music culture (EDMC). A platform for interdisciplinary scholarship on the shifting terrain of EDMCs worldwide, the journal houses research exploring the sites, technologies, sounds and cultures of electronic music in historical and contemporary perspectives. Playing host to studies of emergent forms of electronic music production, performance, distribution, and reception, and as a medium through which the cultural politics of dance is critically investigated, Dancecult is the forum for research on EDMCs. For more information visit: https://dj.dancecult.net/index.php/dancecult.

This year’s conference program committee consists of: Dave Payling (chair), Alice O’Grady, Alistair Fraser, Botond Vitos, Graham St John, Katrina Loughrey, Toby Young and Tommy Symmes. The conference is supported by Maynooth University, Ireland and Staffordshire University, UK.

Any questions please get in touch with conference chair Dave Payling: D.Payling@staffs.ac.uk