The conference, hosted by Indiana University’s Arts & Humanities Council, will take over the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Friday and Saturday. Over 1,000 registered to attend, and all conference events sold out. Events open to the public began Thursday and will last until Sunday.
The council announced the event in July and is claiming to be the first-ever Swift-themed academic conference.
“I think this has definitely solidified into us that like these types of conferences matter, and like there are scholars who are hungry to talk about things in this way,” said coordinator Natalia Almanza.
"Taylor Swift: The Conference Era" was moved to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater to accommodate more attendees. (Aubrey Wright, WFIU/WTIU)
‘The right time to do a Taylor Swift conference’
Almanza said the arts and humanities are the core of the conference. She said having conferences like this to introduce accessible scholarly conversations keep the council thriving and alive.
Almanza said the council came up with the idea for the conference late last year after Swift announced her ‘Eras Tour.’ Since then, the singer-songwriter has released the ‘Eras Tour’ concert movie, expanded the tour with international dates, and released multiple re-recordings of her old albums. Naturally, the conference evolved and grew too.
“It just kind of felt like the right time to do a Taylor Swift conference, especially with everything going on, in and around her career,” Almanza said.
Almanza said after the council put out an interest form this summer, they received 750 responses in two days. They moved the conference to a larger venue to meet the demand, settling on the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
Scholars were eager to talk about pop culture this way, Almanza said. The council invited 10 speakers and found 20 more through applications. Passionate scholars came from Bloomington, Toronto, California, and the United Kingdom.
“I think people hearing about how popular this is, will help just reinforce that this kind of work is important.”
Almanza is a Swift fan herself. As someone pursuing a master’s in arts administration, she said she admires Swift as an advocate for artists and equity in the music industry. Hearing how Swift has grown and improved over nearly two decades resonates with her.
“From a career standpoint, I love hearing about Taylor Swift's work, and I'm so fascinated by her,” she said. “But also just from a fan standpoint, I love listening to music. I grew up listening to it. I love how she has just ended up being a role model for so many women.”
Conference takes places this weekend
Conference events began 9 a.m. Friday, kicking off with Almanza’s opening remarks about her relationship with Swift and the media’s reception to the conference. Pop culture can be academic, she said.
“I think it's been really interesting to see some of the feedback on it,” she said. "And to see some folks that don't necessarily take Taylor so seriously. And it's a shame because there's just so much to talk about there.”
Friday panels include discussions of Swift’s politics, dissections of fandom and parasocial relationships, and analyses of Swift’s songwriting and storytelling.
Also scheduled on Friday, an interactive screening of the 2019 musical “Cats” and a costume contest.
Ellie Albin, a senior at IU and fellow Swift fan, spoke at the conference Friday. She talked about how Taylor Swift has allowed her to connect with different types of people and grow as a journalist.
“I think what Taylor did was make me realize that I was already a good journalist,” Albin said in her speech. “I didn’t need people telling me who I was.”
Albin said Swift has also taught her that as a journalist, it’s okay to connect with your audience, and it’s also okay to not please people all the time.
“It [journalism] wants you to be cold...it aims to catch you at your worst moments,” Albin said. “But I’m actually just going to look at life and I’m going to interact with people and I’m going to see what comes back.
Ellie Albin, a senior at IU, spoke during a Fan Spotlight panel. (Aubrey Wright, WFIU/WTIU)
When reflecting on her speech afterwards, Albin said Swift has allowed her to value parts of herself more and be proud of how far she has come.
“It’s good to get excited about pop culture and people who are putting something into the world that is creative, and to value creativity in society, and to not just stick to the status quo,” Albin said.
Albin said she is grateful for the work Swift has done and hopes Swift will be taken as seriously as other male musicians.
“I'm glad that Taylor Swift is finally being taken seriously as this academic topic, as someone who has, you know, shifted and shaped the culture, pop culture, the economy, politics,” Albin said. “[Swift] has shaped the way that we talk in the 21st century, in the way we interact with society.”
Saturday conference panels include more deep dives into Swift's feminism, musicianship and craft. Almanza said her favorite panel will be the last of the conference. “I had a feeling so peculiar…” is a three-person panel that dives into the feelings that Swift captures.
“This is just something that we use to process our own human emotions, talk about humanities in this way,” she said “These lyrics are inherently human. And I'm excited to hear scholars frame it in that way.”
The Back Door hosted a kick-off party Thursday night and is hosting a Swift-themed drag show Saturday. Taylor Swift trivia and karaoke will begin 8 p.m. Saturday at The Bishop Bar. Attendees must be aged 21 or over, and costumes are encouraged.
An artist market will take place Sunday at the Cook Center for Public Arts & Humanities at Maxwell Hall. The event lasts from 12- 5 p.m., and will feature 13 artists.
