Taylor Swift, the Conference Era
November 3-5, 2023
Indiana University, Bloomington
Gayle Karch Cook Center for Public Arts & Humanities at Maxwell Hall
This year, Taylor Swift embarked on her record-breaking Eras Tour, which sold over 2.4 million tickets in a single day. As the tour title signals, this moment provides an opportunity to not only reflect on, but also re-imagine Swift’s extensive impact. Scholars and fans alike see this as a critical time to discuss and analyze Taylor Swift’s impact during yet another peak in her extensive and iconic career. This conference seeks to gather Swifties and Swifty-adjacent thinkers for a meeting of the (master)minds focused on examining pertinent topics through the lens of sold-out stadium star Taylor Swift.
Topics under consideration might include (but are not limited to):
Eras: genre blending, bending, reinventing and evolution
Intersections of identity: gender, sexuality and politics
The craft: Swiftian songwriting and creative production
Industry impact: tickets, copyright, intellectual property, and re-releases
Fandom: Engagements between digital and material Taylor Swift fans
Para-musical: fashion, easter eggs, liner notes, advertising
Submissions are due to ahcounc@indiana.edu on July 7, 2023 (11:59pm EST) and must include the following:
Complete contact information and institutional affiliation (if applicable) for the participant;
Biography (~400 words)
Preferred presentation format. Please note, presentation formats are open to include innovative approaches to scholarly exchange.
A 250-word abstract of your topic
The conference will take place in Bloomington, IN. Bloomington is home to Indiana University and a bustling music community on and off campus. Indiana University produces world-class musicians and scholars at the renowned Jacobs School of Music, the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Kelley School of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences, and more. With classes, concerts, festivals and music-oriented events, Bloomington is the perfect backdrop for the Taylor Swift Conference.