[Commlist] CFP: Reinvigorating and Reinventing Stardom

*/Reinvigorating and Reinventing Stardom/*

Saturday 2 November 2019

University of Warwick, Millburn House

Organisers: Julie Lobalzo Wright (University of Warwick) and Eleonora 
Sammartino (King’s College London)

Keynote: Sarah Thomas (University of Liverpool)

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the publication of Richard 
Dyer’s foundational study of film stardom, /Stars/(BFI, 1979). While 
this work has been instrumental, charting the framework that has 
dominated star studies in the following four decades, the study of 
stardom has expanded areas referenced in /Stars/(fandom, archival 
research, cultural types) and issues not studied in the book (national 
cinematic stars, multimedia stardom, celebrities). Stardom and 
performance continue to be subjects of fascination with new work 
emerging from the BFI Film Stars series and the /Celebrity 
Studies/journal, in addition to singular studies exploring the overlap 
between stars and other subjects (David McGowan’s/Animated 
Personalities: Cartoon Characters and Stardom in American Theatrical 
Shorts /(2019); the recent special issue of the 
/Film-Philosophy/journal, ‘Stardom and Philosophy’ (2019); and Lorraine 
York’s /Reluctant Celebrity: Affect and Privilege in Contemporary 
Stardom/(2018)). While /Stars/remains an important reference point, star 
studies is reinventing itself through new lines of inquiry, 
reinvigorating one of the most essential subject areas in Film and 
Television Studies.

This symposium acts as the first major event to emerge from the BAFTSS 
special interest group, Performance and Stardom. The SIG has been 
organised to promote and support the fascinating new work emerging from 
these broad topics. The symposium seeks to highlight some of the current 
research that is reinvigorating and reinventing star studies through 
pioneering archival research, new theoretical paradigms, and developing 
links between star studies and, for example, performance, celebrity, 
fandom, philosophy, and animation. Papers are sought that approach 
stardom through these new avenues, possibly even reflecting on how star 
studies has expanded since /Stars/, or considering the importance of 
reinvention, not just within the field of star studies, but how stars 
have reinvented themselves throughout their careers.

The remit for this symposium is broad with the intention to manufacture 
links between those that attend and encourage scholars working within 
the fields of stardom and performance. Although sponsored by BAFTSS, 
this event is open to all, not just BAFTSS members, and we wish to urge, 
especially, postgraduate students and early career researchers to submit 
proposals and attend the event.

Further topics may include, but are not limited to:

·The history of star or performance studies

·Dyer’s/Stars/and/or /Heavenly Bodies/as foundational works in the field

·Reinvention in star studies/performance

·Reinvention within particular stars careers

·Interdisciplinary approaches to star studies/performance (audience 
studies, media studies, social sciences)

·Innovative approaches to star/performance studies (archival sources, 
historiography, practice-based research)

·Stardom/Performance and new media (social media platforms, video games, 
digital media, YouTube)

·Transmedia stardom/performance

·Transnational stars

·Identity and stardom/performance (postcolonial approaches, disability 
studies, queer studies, critical race theory)

·Fandom and star studies/performance

Please send _300 word_paper abstracts and a short biography of no more 
than _100 words (_tobaftssstars /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(baftssstars /at/ gmail.com)>by *1 September 2019*. Successful 
proposals will be notified by the end of September.

It is the intension that select papers (or shorter versions) will be 
published on the Performance and Stardom blog 
(www.performanceandstardom.wordpress.com 
<http://www.performanceandstardom.wordpress.com/>).

Further information: It is expected there will be no conference fee for 
the symposium. Millburn House is a fully accessible building. Please do 
contact the conference organisers if you have any queries.


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