May 1-2, 2021. California State University Northridge
In January 2020, a groundbreaking inclusive inter and multi-disciplinary conference was held at Kingston College in London UK, examining the success and popularity of the Kpop group BTS from a variety of perspectives.
It was clear by the more than 150 presentations that a second conference is both desirable and necessary to continue to explore the phenomenon that is and surrounds BTS. A second conference will take place on the campus of California State University Northridge (30 miles from central Los Angeles) on May 2-3, 2021.
This conference will bring together academics, fans, music and media industry practitioners in a supportive and inclusive space to talk, debate and share ideas about BTS. Issues may relate to music, fandom, education, film and media, performance art, culture, fashion and so on.
It is anticipated that there will be fan and student (graduate and undergraduate) participation.
Plenary speakers will be Dr. Colette Balmain (Kingston University London) co-editor of Korean Screen Cultures: Interrogating Cinema, TV, Music and Online Games and Dr. Crystal Anderson (George Mason University), director of KPK: Kpop Kollective (https://kpopkollective.com) and author of Soul in Seoul: Black Popular Music and Kpop.
Submissions are welcome across a range of topics including, but not limited to:
- Participatory culture and fandom
- Music Studies and Music Education, including Hip-Hop and Hybridity
- Dance Studies
- Connect, BTS
- Identities and Intersectional practices: gender, sexuality, race, age, dis/ability, national and ethnic
- Music Videos: Aesthetics and Attributes
- Documentary and Reality Television
- Mental Health awareness
- Philosophy
- Citizen Politics
- International Relations
- Education and Educational Psychology
- Human Development and Family Studies
Information regarding submission of paper, panel, workshop, and roundtable proposals will be coming soon.
For more information contact BTSatCSUN@gmail.com
Organizers: Dr. Frances Gateward (CSUN)
Dr. Jinah Kim (CSUN)
Dr. Nam Lee (Chapman University)
Dr. R. Candace Epps (UNC Chapel Hill)
Dr. Charles Hatfield (CSUN)
COVID-10 advisory notice: While this conference is intended to take place in person at the CSUN Conference Center, the conference may need to be moved online.
About the Author
Dr Frances Gateward teaches courses in cinema and popular culture in the Dept. of Cinema and Television Arts at California State University Northridge