An organisation by and for people who dance and take drugs. We want to change drug policy and protect our spaces and our culture.
Interested ? – click here for more information: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4gzyiidinytga5e/participant%20information%20sheet%20People%20and%20Dancefloors.docx?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR2N0kz9pcAPRpMSHLl-dd83F3U8eHooSEc0CVt2d1ezmu-1AHuABIOlt0Y
full info – http://trans-states.org/trans-states-2-cfp/
University of Northampton, 13 & 14th September, 2019
Trans-States.org
Keep up to date with the conference via our FB page and twitter account.
trans- prefix meaning: across, beyond, through, on the other side of, to go beyond
state: a condition or way of being that exists at a particular time
An unabashed play on words, a ‘trans- state’ is, among other things, a coincidentia oppositorum. An alchemical wedding that defines the fixed place, where boundaries are actively transgressed. In many ways, this point of intersection—this crossroads—is where the role of the magician, mystic and artist collide. Where each can play a role in revealing the neoteric and the numinous, while making ruinous the antiquated and the corrupt. Revelation and revolution are often intimately linked; the sudden and violent unveiling of the truly novel, utterly alien, and ineffably Other, brings with it the upheaval of our very foundations—that of the individual, and of the societies we build. The art of revelation, is the art of cataclysm and catharsis.
The first Trans- States conference, The Art of Crossing Over, themed itself upon the Major Arcana card, The Hanged Man, and focused solely on boundary crossing, liminality and the queering of normativity. This upcoming Trans- States conference, The Art of Revelation, themes itself upon The Tower. As such, it seeks to broaden its scope to include the shock and awe of revelatory and paradigm-shifting occultural experiences; the impact and implications of anti-structure, of alterations in consciousness and of the revolutionary aspects of paranormality.
This is a transdisciplinary conference that will explore the complex interrelationships between contemporary occulture, revelation, non-ordinary states of consciousness, power, structure, textuality and deconstruction.
Confirmed Keynotes
We are pleased to announce that we already have three extremely exciting keynote speakers confirmed:
Call for Proposals
As further guidance for proposal ideas, all proposals should relate to one or more of the following: contemporary esotericism, mysticism, spirituality, psychedelics, occulture AND—
We welcome proposals by academics, independent scholars, practitioners and artists.
We aim to promote not only the blending of disciplines, but also non-normative approaches to the theme. As such, joint proposals, collaborations, practitioner-based activities, pre-formed panels and performances are very welcome, as well as individual submissions and papers. We also welcome short film screenings; exhibited works; visual art; sound art; installations; visually interactive talks and workshops.
This list of ‘trans- states’ from the first conference may help provide additional inspiration:
Transcendental
Transformation
Transmutation
Transmedia and transnarrative
Transgender, Transexual, Gender Queer, Androgyne
Transitions and liminality
Transmissions
Transcultural
Transdermal and body modification
Transfixion
Transference
Transdisciplinary
Transfiguration
Transgression
Transhumanism
Transmigration and metempsychosis
Transnatural art and design
Transpersonal
Transubstantiation
What to send:
Abstracts or proposals should be a maximum of 300 words (images, links to video or other visual aids may also be included, especially for exhibition/performance related proposals).
If you wish to present and exhibit/perform, please provide a separate (although by all means directly related) proposal for each, along with your biog. In the case of performances or other logistically complex activities, please include details in your proposal of any additional requirements you may have.
Unless otherwise requested, standard presentation slots will be 20mins, with 10mins for questions. Performances can of course be longer, or shorter, depending on content/context. (We have had performances running for a couple of minutes, and long-form pieces running for hours. Simply provide a rationale for your proposed activity).
You should also include a short biog of no more than 200 words, and a current digital photo/image that depicts you (or your work). Please send portrait images (i.e. portrait not landscape: tall on the longest side, rather than wide on the longest side).
Finally, include any social network links, website/blog info and contact information that you are happy to be shared with the general public, should you be accepted, on the Trans- States website. (See below for a full list of external links we will support).
The document should be sent in the following format:
(1) contributor(s)
(2) any affiliation, as you would like it to appear in programme
(3) email
(4) title of proposal
(5) body of abstract/proposal(s), (max 300 words, per proposal)
(6) biog (max 200 words)
(7) any social networks links and website/blog info.
Please use the subject line: Trans- States Conference Submission
All submissions should be sent by Wednesday 6th March, as an email attachment (text document or PDF) to the following address: cavan@trans-states.org.
Applicants may be from any background, with no minimum education levels, although are expected to demonstrate expertise in their area of interest. This must be summarised in the biography.
Additional Info:
Social network links, website/blog info and contact information can be added to your speaker page on our website, should you be accepted.. You can (if you wish) supply us with any of the below links. Please stipulate which type of link it is and include the entire URL. For example:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Trans_States
We support linking to any of the following:
> Email Address
> Facebook
> Twitter
> Linkedin
> Pinterest
> Google Plus
> Tumblr
> Instagram
> Your Website/Blog
> Flickr
> Academia.edu page
> Youtube/Vimeo
24th & 25th May 2019
BOOK NOW
Call for participation
A call to all those interested in participatory geographies (both faculty and students). The PYGYRG annual away weekend will be held at the ‘Fortwilliam Backpakers’ hostel https://independenthostels.co.uk/members/fortwilliambackpackers/ in Fort William – Scotland – a stunning location https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/fort-william/ . The tradition of this event is that it is welcoming, supportive, non-hierarchical, collegiate and fun while at the same time being intellectually stimulating and critically engaged.
Those who book early can approach the hostel independently to extend their stay beyond the 25th to explore the highlands and/or can include partners and family (depending on numbers/availability) who can be included in our catering and activities if they wish.
To Book
Email Eve Buck-Matthews pygyrgeo@gmail.com copied to Janet.Bowstead@rhul.ac.uk . Eve will take your details, Janet will send bank transfer information and take payments. Places are secured on the basis of payment not the email expressing interest (book/paty early to avoid disappointment).
Send Eve: Your name, contact details (institution, email, mobile phone), information about any additional needs; dietary requirements etc, and ideas for contributions or suggestions for activities.
Bursaries
Thanks to the support of the RGS/IBG – we can offer 5 bursaries of £90 (£40 for accommodation + up to £50 for travel expenses). To apply use the subject line “PYGYRG Bursary request” in a email to mgk@st-andrews.ac.uk copied to frf4@aber.ac.uk .
Please indicate your status (e.g. faculty/student (inc. Level and year of study), funded/unfunded, part-time, unemployed etc), institution/affiliation or independant scholar status and provide a one page summary of your research interests and what you feel you will gain from and contribute to the away weekend. Bursaries will be distributed on the basis of relevance and need (with priority given to those who are unwaged/ students who are unfunded and those on temporary/ precarious contracts) to those who most closely reflect the goals and orientation of the Research Group.
Deadline 15th March. Results communicated no later than 31st March.
Below is a suggested programme (thanks to all who contributed to the earlier call for ideas). It is subject to attendees’ approval and suggested contributions. Please note, if you need to ‘present’ in order to secure departmental funds, there is opportunity to do so. This said, the format will be very informal, casual, welcoming and friendly.
Provisional timetable
| Friday 24th May | |||
| Time | Activity | Facilitator | |
| 3 – 4 | Arrive settle in | ||
| 4 – 5 | ‘Meet & greet’ – general chat & introductions | ||
| 5 – 6 | ‘Show & tell 1’ – opportunity to give 10 mins chat on whatever you want. Not compulsory – tell Org Comm. If you want a slot. | ||
| 6 – 7:30 | Dinner | ||
| 7:30 – 8:30 | ‘Show & tell 2’ – see above | ||
| 8:30 | Pub – questions on the show and tell sessions | ||
| Saturday 25th May – morning | |||
| 7:30 – 9 | Breakfast | ||
| 9 – 10 | ‘Methods Q&A’ (all methods) – opportunity to ask colleagues how they use/employ, develop/adapt various methods | ||
| 10 – 10:30 | ‘Methods Q&A’ (all methods) – see above – transition to next session | ||
| 10:30 -12 | ‘Talking PAR & tech’ – opportunity to discuss digital methods, GIS, big data – big projects – social media | ||
| 12 – 1 | ‘Walk & talk’ | ||
| 1 – 2 | Lunch – sandwiches | ||
| Saturday 25th May – Afternoon | |||
| 2 – 3 | ‘Walk & talk’ | ||
| 3 – 3:30 | Boots off & change | ||
| 3:30 – 4 | Talking PRA & tech – round up/transition to next session | ||
| 4:30 – 6 | Talking politics – the academy – engaging with policy makers | ||
| 6 – 7:30 | Dinner | ||
| 7 – 8 | ‘Film night’ – opportunity to screen & discus short PAR films | PAR confessional – open session on problems – ethics – paradoxes & solutions | |
| 8 – 9 | ‘Film night’ – see above | PAR confessional – see above | |
| 9+ | Pub | ||
| Sunday 26th May – morning | |||
| 7:30 – 9 | Breakfast | ||
| 9 – 10 | Clean-up & pack | ||
| 10 | Check out time | ||
| 10 – you choose | Pub/coffee shop/walk to continue the discussion until: … your train/you start your short break/the cows come home…. | ||
5th PSN Conference and Post Graduate Symposium
Punk Scholars Network 5th Annual Conference and Postgraduate Symposium.
De Montfort University Leicester, December 13-14th 2018
Hosted by the Punk Scholars Network in conjunction with the International Association of Metal Music Studies, the Journal of Punk and Post-Punk, the Journal of Metal Music Studies, Media and Communication Research Centre and Intellect Books.
Metal and punk cultures have long shared musical and cultural similarities. From Motörhead’s ubiquitous global presence, and the complex amalgam of Thrash Metal, Doom Metal, American Hardcore, Straight Edge, Japanese-based Burning Spirits, Black Metal, and DiY cultural production, one can see a plethora of hybridised and reinterpreted global music scenes. Indeed, the pervasive influence of metal and NWOBHM from the mid-1980s onwards has had an irreversible and notable effect on both punk and metal musical and cultural aesthetics (see Glasper, forthcoming, 2018).
In spite of their broadly separate academic literatures, from their competing inceptions in the mid to late-1970s, punk and metal music studies have shared common historical theoretical and methodological approaches; yet no significant critical reflection of these research crossovers has been undertaken to date. The principle aim of this interdisciplinary conference is to critically reflect upon points of similarity, difference and hybridity in global punk and metal subcultures.
The Punk Scholars Network and The International Association of Metal Music Studies would like to invite new and established scholars in punk and metal music studies to critically interrogate such similarities and differences and to share their research: not every paper needs to discuss both punk and metal but simply by presenting research on the same panels to a mixed audience will allow a unique opportunity for researchers to cross perceived genre boundaries and learn from each others methodologies and trajectories.
Topics of interest for submission include, but are not limited to:
Metal and/or punk histories
Genre boundaries
Cross genre authenticities
Gender, hegemony in metal and/or punk cultures
Ethics/moral codes: differences and similarities in metal and/or punk cultures
Ethnicities and contested identities in metal and punk
Geographies, crossover and hybridity in punk and metal music scenes
Crossovers between metal and/or punk
Aesthetic crossovers in local and global punk/metal scenes
Political narratives in punk and metal music
‘Negatologies’: bullying, marginalisation, drugs and violence in punk and/or metal cultures (Gordon, 2018)
Conceptual crossover and difference
The aesthetics of virtuosity and simplicity in metal and punk
The curation of punk and metal bands on festival bills
Legacies
Hybrid cultures, audience research and ethnographies of metal and/or punk cultures
The policy and political economy of metal and punk record labels
Musical production, instrumentation and aesthetics
Art and design in metal and/or punk
Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be sent to metalpunkDMU@gmail.com by September 16th 2018.
The name change happened at the eleventh hour. My PhD title had been through three incarnations. The first, Music Festivals: Spaces of Exception. The name reflected my desire to explore and understand how festivals were outside the ordinary; spaces, states and times outside the everyday. It was constructed pre fieldwork but already hinted at the promise of the alternative. This one lasted as long as it took to uncover more suitable theories, Liminality (Turner 1969) and Temporary Autonomous Zones (Bey 1991), I am still keen to explore States of Exception (Agamben 2005) but felt that festivals had morphed and exhibited alternative theories, anarchic and spiritual. Therefore, the second title emerged, Festivals: Reframing and Re-Presenting Young People. With fieldwork complete, the voices and action within the work were directed towards the young people I had encountered, the tribes that I had been adopted into and the unique social processes I had identified. A counter-narrative had emerged and this second title reflected the emerging call for action to re-imagine music festivals. The emphasis was not quite right, I had not re-presented in the way I thought I had, I had identified something alternative – not countering, or oppositional, as reframing foregrounds, but an alternative. The framing, youth representation in society post the 2011 UK riots, had been just that, a background. The main emergent chapters were the original identification of spatial / social processes unique to festivals. New phenomena that had thier own life and agency that were not a response or reaction to life outside but powerful evidence of a new way of being and thinking, individually and communally. As I slogged through the last few days of writing up, it became important to emphasise how the work had been done and the emergent themes in the work, all of which were equally weighted, interconnected and mingling with one another to create the magic ingredient of music festivals, so at the eleventh hour the title changed to; Reframing Music Festivals: Exploring Space, Solidarity, Spirituality and Self with Young People. Highlighting how festivals were the area of re-presentation, inclusive of the four themes and importantly highlighting how it was conducted ‘with’, co-constructed and indebted to the festival tribes that had played around me, played with space, played with identities, created spirituality and communities.
Call For Papers: RGS-IBG Annual Conference, Tuesday 28 August to Friday 31 August 2018, Cardiff University, Cardiff
Session one sponsored by the Social and Cultural Geography Research Group
Session two sponsored by the Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group
Session convenors; Kris Vavasour – Ara, New Zealand Broadcasting School, NZ Heather Jeffrey – Middlesex University Dubai, DXB Eveleigh B.M – Coventry University, UK
Sonic spaces feature in a broad spectrum of research, and proposals are welcome from any areas of geography, cultural/media studies, and other social sciences that engage with musical spaces and places.
This forum will discuss geographies of music and how these have developed, interconnecting with cultural practices, values and wider society, in keeping with the conference theme of landscapes. The social, legal, emotional, cultural, historical, political, environmental, and economic geographies of music and sonic spaces offer many angles through which to explore the changing landscapes/soundscapes of the world.
Potential topics include but are not restricted to:
Accounts and reflections on research and fieldwork are encouraged. We invite empirical and theoretical papers around these themes and others related to musical landscapes, including alternative forms of presentation.
Please send; an abstract of no more than 250 words, indication of type of presentation (paper, performance, film etc), name, email contact and affiliation to Eve at eveleigh.buck@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is the 2nd February. If you have any questions or concerns please be in touch.
Facilitator – Gender Networking and Mentoring Appreciative Inquiry Session.
Appreciative Inquiry: Definition, Discovery, Dream & Design.
AI is like a focus group but specifically it has a positive focus. When people discuss problems and issues then it is often hard to move on and beyond negative experiences. We had a short amount of time so this approach produced some useful positive ideas and practices that I’m collating and will circulate so everyone benefits from all the conversations that were taking place.
Chair & Convenor: Innovative Methods in Gender and Feminist Geographies.
So incredibly proud of all the presenters in our two sessions! We had some really interesting research. The future of feminist research was synthesised into 20 minute presentations which was not near enough time.
Presenter
I snuck in and presented in Innovative Methods PGF session. It was my D.I.Y presentation, or done the hour before . . . I pulled it off and proved to myself that I know my work, it is bad practice to do with so little preparation and I wouldn’t do it again but I got some good feedback and my passion for my data came across. I’m growing and need to get where I am now down into a presentation as I realised I’ve moved on a lot in the last few months and should get this down in a format I can present.
The networker
Finally the RGS-IBG showed me once again what it is to have a community, not only am I lucky enough to now know people and create traditions of meeting back up but every year I meet new people that amaze and inspire me.
“Lose this day loitering—‘twill be the same story
Tomorrow—and the next more dilatory.
Then indecision brings its own delays.
And days are lost lamenting over days.
Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute—…
What you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Courage has genius, power and magic in it;
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated—
Begin it and the work will be completed.”
Goethe
This is the second year I’ve run a postgraduate workshop at the RGS-IBG. The RGS-IBG and the research groups are happy to let us postgrad reps run free and explore the building, supporting and creating a space for us, the geographical academics in training or otherwise known as PhD researchers. It has been a bottom up process. We (me and my fellow GFGRG postgrad rep, Heather Jeffrey) saw a need. We didn’t feel our institutions offered us enough methods training during our PhD studies and because both of us weren’t in geography departments we had to go outside our universities to seek out workshops. I also had a social need, I was one of only three PhD’s to start in my new research centre. I was lacking in geographically likeminded people. I also had no opportunities to teach which I had always wanted to engage with, so the solution was to ask the RGS-IBG if we could run a workshop. Courage, enthusiasm and energy arrived in the guise of my fellow postgrad rep for GFGRG. We soon became thick as thieves!
We had about 15 PhD students for our first workshop, we had a fantastic key note; Dr Erin Sanders who walked us through her research, a sensory ethnography of Soho and her thoughts on her PhD and subsequent early career experience. It was a warm workshop and a pleasure to facilitate, a friendly environment. The feedback, it was needed. We had got what we needed – confirmation that it was wanted and had been helpful and supportive.
Therefore, 2017 rolled up. We had some tricky times, we had to push back the workshop later in the year as Viva preps and hand in dates meant we had to give ourselves more time. However, we took on a friendly face in the form of Dan Casey which gave us the breathing space and support we needed to pull a larger event together.
We were so lucky to have Prof Gillian Rose speak on her work on #smartcities and digital geography methodologies. It was methodologically fascinating as well as being visually beautiful. Following lunch I was up with a free writing workshop, it’s purpose was twofold. To get researchers to reflect on who their participants were and what their needs may be. Secondly, to put forward an alternative way to write and to think about writing. To break down the barriers we may put up against the process of writing and break into ways to encourage creative thinking. My last session looked at mapping, we are geographers after all. The glitter came out and people had the choice to body map or produce imagined maps based on their own research idea’s. A workshop designed to help researchers reflect on their work and research practice and to play with some creative methods of data collection.
(Photo courtesy of @TheaShahrokh)
After a tea break we were back with a session on reflexivity in research. Vignettes framed the ethical jungle that research fieldwork can be. We problematised and worked through how to deal with sometimes dangerous, awkward, confusing and tricky situations that come with primary research. There was strength in having talked through these situations and we practiced the ways in which we may write up reflexivity as well as deal with difficult situations at the time.
It was an exhausting yet fantastic day. The feedback we received was glowing and so pleasing to see. Feedback received such as “Very friendly, supportive, with lots of practical info and advice. Made PhD research seem fun again …!” makes the day worthwhile. People had taken so much from the day and also given us some constructive feedback which we can take forward with us if running similar events in the future. I would again like to thank everyone involved, especially the research groups that supported us:
Participatory Geographies Research Group (@pygyrg) Social Cultural Geographies Research Group (@SCGRG_RGS) Postgraduate Forum (@PGF_RGSIBG) Gender & Feminist Geographies Research Group (@GFG_RGSIBG) Geographies of Leisure and Tourism (@GLTRGuk)
I’d ask that if you are a PhD who has had a good experience, a light bulb moment, a space created you feel has helped please consider actively creating one yourself. It is a lonely experience doing a PhD and it doesn’t take a lot of energy to create a space with and for others, even if it’s just an email around seeing if people fancy the pub. Give back, however, whenever you can and if you’re looking for a way to do this consider becoming a postgraduate representative? running a session? Running a workshop? Once you become confident, pass it on and show others J it doesn’t have to be lonely, I made sure mine wasn’t.
To take a look at the day, check out our twitter story: https://storify.com/eveleigh_bm/rqms
