[Commlist] Call For Papers:Neither Factory Records nor Madchester:Rethinking Manchester’s Musical and Subcultural Histories

Call For Papers: Neither Factory Records nor Madchester: Rethinking 
Manchester’s Musical and Subcultural Histories

A two-day international conference
Thursday 19th and Friday 20th June 2025 Manchester Metropolitan University

Conference organising team:

Kirsty Fairclough (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Keith Gildart (University of Wolverhampton)
Sarah Raine (University College Dublin) David Wilkinson (Manchester 
Metropolitan University)


Cities tell stories about themselves. Manchester likes to tell a story 
about itself that’s often summed up in the alleged words of Tony Wilson, 
founder of post-punk label Factory Records: ‘We do things differently here’.
But do we really?

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’s 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’t. Certain stories are told and 
retold and others forgotten. Even the stories we do hear become 
homogenised, easily digested clichés 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.
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?

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

●	Subcultures, scenes, bands, people, nightlife etc. that fall outside 
or complicate dominant narratives about Manchester’s cultural past and 
present         (we are keen to avoid a ‘tokenistic’ approach here that 
perpetuates existing myths while making them appear more ‘inclusive’).
●	Reclaiming ‘the popular’ e.g. nightclubs, cabaret clubs, ‘fun pubs’.
●	The effects of neoliberal urbanism on cultural production and 
consumption in the city.
●	The popular/subcultural culture(s) of Greater Manchester and its 
peripheries.
●	Post-Punk and beyond – How post-punk influences have shaped the city’s 
identity and its impact on current musical and subcultural expressions.
●	From ‘Madchester’ to present-day scenes – The "Madchester" era to 
contemporary musical movements.
●	The role of DIY and independent labels – How independent labels and 
DIY practices have fostered alternative musical communities in Manchester.
●	Exploring the intersection of visual arts, performance, and music in 
shaping Manchester’s subcultural identities.
●	Music and activism – Examining how music and subcultures in Manchester 
have intersected with political activism and social change.
●	Global influences and local adaptations – Investigating how global 
music trends (and migration flows) influence Manchester's scenes and how 
        these musics are adapted locally.
●	Heritage and memory in music scenes – The role of memory in 
preserving, celebrating, or distorting Manchester’s musical histories.
●	Who gets to speak, who/what is funded, and how – Critical examinations 
of heritage projects and practices, and the funding processes (public 
  and private) that make these possible.
●	Community, spaces, and venues – The significance of and threats to 
physical spaces in shaping subcultural communities, past and present.
●	Musical and subcultural northernness within and beyond Manchester – 
Critical examinations of dominant notions of northernness and alternate 
      understandings of The North.
●	Engaging with The Second City – Exploring sub/cultural engagements 
with and rejections of Manchester.

Please send to (NeitherFactorynorMadchester /at/ gmail.com) (1) a 250-word abstract
(2) a proposed title (3) a clear indication of presentation format (4) 
150 word speaker bio/s Deadline January 20th 2025

---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------