Description
Eurovision has started to be studied academically in recent decades, and there is much room to explore further aspects of this major historical and cultural event, especially in light of the rapidly changing politics in Europe, the tensions between celebrations of inclusivity and growing social polarisations, and recent developments in critical studies.This two-day interdisciplinary workshop will bring together scholars from various fields in the humanities and social sciences to offer new perspectives on the politics of Eurovision. This event is supported by the Susan Manning Workshop Fund from the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh.
'And Maybe…’: Rewatching and the Potentials of the Eurovision Archive
This paper will explore the potential and perils embedded in the Eurovision archive. From scoreboards to recaps, national finals to production teams, the Eurovision archive is gargantuan as it is amorphous. This multidimensional archive, however, becomes a site for misrepresentation and marginalisation, often relying on community contributions from the fandom. Where Abby Waysdorf has considered how communal rewatching can ‘sustain and reinforce a “Eurofan” identity’, my paper explores how 'reimagined rewatching' might remedy the (in)visible gaps in the archive. While seemingly trivial, I argue that placing songs out of their original context and (re)connecting them to others that share themes or connective threads, such as ‘food’, ‘chairs’, or ‘masculinity’, can reappraise our understanding of the Contest. This playful approach to the Contest contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the Eurovision archive, the very presence of which is often as ephemeral as the performances the archive itself attempts to capture.
Estimated audience numbers (if applicable)
30| Period | 19 May 2023 → 20 May 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Edinburgh, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |