{"id":719,"date":"2024-11-27T13:00:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/subcultures-network\/?p=719"},"modified":"2024-12-04T16:34:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T16:34:32","slug":"call-for-papers-neither-factory-records-nor-madchester-rethinking-manchesters-musical-and-subcultural-histories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/subcultures-network\/call-for-papers-neither-factory-records-nor-madchester-rethinking-manchesters-musical-and-subcultural-histories\/","title":{"rendered":"Call For Papers: Neither Factory Records nor Madchester: Rethinking Manchester\u2019s Musical and Subcultural Histories"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”721″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Call For Papers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Neither Factory Records nor Madchester: Rethinking Manchester\u2019s Musical and Subcultural Histories<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A two day international conference<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday 19th and Friday 20th June 2025 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Manchester Metropolitan University<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Conference organising team:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Kirsty Fairclough (Manchester Metropolitan University)<\/p>\n

Keith Gildart (University of Wolverhampton)<\/p>\n

Sarah Raine (University College Dublin)<\/p>\n

David Wilkinson (Manchester Metropolitan University)<\/p>\n

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Cities tell stories about themselves. Manchester likes to tell a story about itself that\u2019s often summed up in the alleged words of Tony Wilson, founder of post-punk label Factory Records: \u2018We do things differently here\u2019.<\/p>\n

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But do we really?<\/p>\n

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Recent research (Rose, 2024) suggests that Manchester might not be as much an exception as it is an illustration of broader urban trends. The city\u2019s vibrant cultural legacy has played an important role in shaping its identity and has been used as a form of ‘place marketing,’ celebrating its creative spirit and contributing to its growth. Popular music and subculture have been key elements of this narrative. Yet in this process, popular music and subcultures often suffer. Certain people get to tell their stories; others don\u2019t. Certain stories are told and retold and others forgotten. Even the stories we do hear become homogenised, easily digested clich\u00e9s of friendly Northerners and historical firsts. When some stories dominate, others may fade or remain untold. Even the narratives we celebrate are often simplified and mythologised, focusing on familiar themes and collective historical milestones.<\/p>\n

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This conference asks: what do we find when we critically examine the dominant stories of Manchester music, or when we shift our focus to those stories less often told?<\/p>\n

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We invite academic papers, practice-based research and creative submissions\/performances related to (but not limited to) the following themes:<\/p>\n

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