Feminist Theory and Music (FT&M) 17 on the theme of “Urgency”

Conference Dates: June 20-22, 2024 Location: University of Michigan @ Ann Arbor

We acknowledge that the University of Michigan resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – The Three Fire Confederacy of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations, as well as the Wyandot Nation.

Abstract Submission Date:

All proposals should be submitted on or before 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on November 30, 2023 to: kjfourni@umich.edu

Conference Theme:

Now in its third decade, the Feminist Theory & Music Conference highlights work at the intersections of gender, sexuality, and music. Building on the previous conference’s theme of “Connections,” the 2024 conference seeks to leverage those relationships and connections to interrogate questions of urgency. “Urgency” here can refer to the immediacy of our contemporary political and historical moment, and our need to respond thoughtfully but without hesitation. We also use “urgency” to evoke the false sense of immediacy often imposed within institutions–such as the neoliberal university–that demands so much of our time and labor. We imagine this gathering as a space to come together to amplify issues of urgency across our various home

disciplines. We hope that this conference theme will offer pathways out of the isolation that many minoritized scholars can feel as we struggle with urgency on our campuses, in our positions, in our daily lives, our communities, and practice and research. The conference will feature a keynote address by Dr. Nancy Rao, author of Chinatown Opera Theater in North America (Illinois University Press, 2017), and an afternoon concert with pianist Ellen Rowe drawing on her recent project, “Momentum: Portraits of Women in Motion” (2019).

The program committee welcomes proposals for presentations that explore topics that include (but are not limited to):

●   Music related to the urgency of the current political moment, nationally and globally;

●   Increasing anti-LGBTQ, especially anti-trans, legislation and musical responses;

●   Threats to bodily autonomy and reproductive justice in a post-Roe v. Wade U.S;

●   Antiracism, Black Lives Matter, and accompanying movements

●   Recent Supreme Court rulings on Affirmative Action and the future of higher education;

●   Employing feminist theories in music in the classroom, research, communities, and institutions;

●   Music and expressions of toxic masculinity, Trumpism, and their alternatives;

●   Academic and other labor movements as feminist movements;

●   Locally-grounded topics of music, activism, and history pertinent to the Ann Arbor or Metro Detroit area; and,

●   Reaching across borders, building bridges, finding commonalities, and honoring differences.

We are inviting participants to present their work in person or via Zoom.

Proposal Guidelines:

We invite submissions from artists, activists, and scholars at any stage of their careers, including undergraduate and graduate students, and especially encourage submissions from people working outside of the academy. We welcome proposals for a range of presentation formats, including (but not limited to):

●   Individual Papers (20 minutes) ○ 250-word abstract

●   Themed Panels of Papers (90 to 120 minutes) ○ 250-word abstract plus ~150-word abstracts from each proposed participant

●   Performances or Lecture-Demonstrations (45 minutes) ○ 250-word abstract

●   Workshops (45 or 90 minutes) ○ 250-word abstracts

●   Roundtable Conversations (90 minutes) ○ 250-word roundtable abstract plus ~150-word abstracts from each proposed participant

●   Seminars with Pre-Conference Circulation of Materials (90 minutes) ○ 250-word seminar abstract

Program Committee:

Lauron Kehrer, Chair (Western Michigan University)
Angelina Gibson, Assistant to the Committee Chair (University of Michigan)

Christopher Cayari (Purdue University)
Leah Claiborne (University of the District of Columbia)
Kate Galloway (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
Vivian Luong (University of Oklahoma)

FT&M on Social Media:

Facebook: Feminist Theory and Music
X (formerly Twitter): coming soon!
Conference Website: https://sites.google.com/umich.edu/ftm17

CALL FOR PAPERS:

“Social Inclusion, Community, and Belonging at International Music Festivals”

The University of Sheffield, 13-14 June 2024 

Festivals play important and diverse roles in communities and societies around the world. International music festivals which bring together performers from different places and cultural backgrounds have emerged in response to processes of mobility, migration, multiculturalism and transnationalism. This symposium explores the impacts of international music festivals and considers their implications for social inclusion, community, and belonging. We hope that participants will gain new perspectives on the issues affecting festivals today and share ideas about their future possibilities.

The symposium will take place at the University of Sheffield, 13-14 JUNE 2024. It is hosted in partnership with Migration Matters Festival, which celebrates the diversity of Sheffield through the performing arts. This festival will provide a vibrant setting for our conversations on the significance of festivals locally and globally.

The symposium welcomes anyone with an interest in festivals, including scholars, performing artists, event organisers, campaigners, etc. We invite proposals for papers, workshops, roundtables, posters, and presentations in any other format. Proposals on any topic related to international music festivals will be considered, but we especially welcome submissions that explore one or more of the following themes:

• Social inclusion, community, belonging.
• Migration, multiculturalism, postcolonialism, diaspora.
• Nationalism, transnationalism, neoliberalism.
• Place making, tourism, heritage.
• Diplomacy, activism.
• Ecology, sustainability, climate justice.
• Practice research, participatory/collaborative methods.
• Online festivals.

Registration for the symposium is FREE, thanks to support from the UKRI Knowledge Exchange Higher Education Innovation Fund. This is primarily an in-person event in Sheffield, but we will support a limited number of participants who are unable to travel to Sheffield due to travel, health or funding restrictions to present online and take part virtually.

The deadline for proposals is 15 DECEMEBER 2023. Please send the following information to j.nissen@sheffield.ac.uk:

• 200–300 words abstract for paper proposals; max 1 page outlining the aims, methods and duration of the session for workshops or other formats. Presentations should be delivered in either English or Spanish.
• 50–100 words personal biography highlighting relevant activities and experience.
• Institutional affiliation (if applicable) and contact information.
• Please state whether you would prefer to attend in person in Sheffield or contribute online. Please note that online presentations will be required to record their presentations in advance of the symposium and be present virtually to take part in the discussion following their presentation. If you have any access needs, please let us know and we will do our best to meet them.

Thank you in advance for your proposals, we look forward to reading them! If you have any questions about the symposium, please contact: j.nissen@sheffield.ac.uk.