Analysing the media discourses surrounding DJs as authentic performers and artists within electronic dance music culture magazines

This paper critically analyses how the media construct, consolidate and perpetuate discourses surrounding DJs as artists. It explores representations of their status and roles in a selection of dance music magazines (Mixmag and DJ Mag) and the links to wider ideologies concerning music and dance culture such as authenticity, originality, innovation, cultural progression and performance. It considers how the media bestow DJs with artistic credibility and authenticity in addition to the range and type of references used to position DJs within the cultural landscape and hierarchy of electronic dance music culture (EDMC). Furthermore, it discusses their sensationalist construction as powerful performers and the links between DJ performances and wider discourses surrounding event experiences. This paper concludes that not only do the discourses perpetuated serve to elevate and sustain the cultural status of DJs, they also validate and perpetuate a wider range of ideological notions within dance music culture. It also highlights the power relations between authors, audiences, DJs and promoters and the medias role in sustaining the social capital of different players, through projecting a vibrant and dynamic culture

More than Words: Analyzing the Media Discourses Surrounding Dance Music Events

Over recent decades the number of festivals occurring annually has grown exponentially, with one area of events witnessing significant growth being dance music festivals—outdoor events that feature various genres of electronic dance music. This article contributes to the academic study of festivals by exploring the discourses surrounding the construction and consumption of dance music events within the niche media that support and inform the various scenes represented under the umbrella term "dance culture." A central tenant of this article is that the positive and sensationalist reporting of events by the media and the discourses they construct surrounding events is a driver of demand for large scale events. Through studying the lexicon of the dance music media this article reveals and dissects pertinent discourses surrounding the reporting of events, which emphasize cultural significance and the centrality of events to contemporary dance music culture through a variety of means

The case for constructionist, longitudinal and ethnographic approaches to understanding event experiences

This paper argues that to really understand the complexities of event experiences and their meaning, we need to gather rich data, on a longitudinal basis. It demonstrates how ethnographic and constructionist approaches assist in understanding event experiences in relation to the cultural context, symbolic nature, and ritualistic aspects of the event and the corresponding impacts on participants. It considers how spending time immersed in the culture of the event and observing with a wide angle lens, using photographic evidence to capture, recall and discuss experiences, provides for a depth of data beyond the realms of quantitative data collection. The paper presents research undertaken at the case of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod into experiences by event attendees and volunteers in relation to the specific aspect of intercultural communication and exchange. The findings provided rich and meaningful data on individual experiences at the case study event from which to provide recommendations for organisers on how this aspect of the event can be enhanced and improved. The results underline and demonstrate the effectiveness of longitudinal, constructionist and ethnographic methodological approaches in understanding event experiences, and their credibility and generalisability moving into the future

Event futures: innovation, creativity and collaboration

This special issue has at its centre the theme Event Futures: innovation, creativity and collaboration. This theme was the basis of the Association for Events Management Education (AEME) annual forum hosted at Cardiff Metropolitan University, 5-7 July 2017. Accordingly, it is gratifying to see some of the papers presented at the Forum make their way through the editorial process, to emerge here in published format.The annual AEME forum and the International Journal of Event and Festival Management are communication forms. They have a symbiotic role in the future of events education and research. Events have evolved and changed through time, raising both challenges and opportunities for the practitioner, the educator and the researcher alike. It is through a combination of collaborative activity and forwards thinking that the progress of events will continue to evolve. This special issue offers a record of some of the discussion, debate and vision of that evolution. The contributing papers highlight current and future success in academic and applied contexts

Exploring dress, identity and performance in contemporary dance music culture

Electronic dance music and its associated cultures have experienced significant growth and diversification in recent decades, evolving from their origins in the warehouse, acid house and rave ‘scenes’. The myriad of interrelated scenes under the umbrella term ‘dance culture’ provides a range of aesthetic and social event experiences, where participants can experiment with and perform multiple identities. This paper explores the significance of dress and identity within dance culture, drawing on an autoethnographic study which included participant observation, field trips, online research, focus groups and interviews. It investigates performance and presentation of identity within these commodified places, in particular how participants negotiate and traverse various credible roles. It suggests that the performance metaphor is useful in conceptualising event spaces and demonstrates the hugely significant role that dress and identity play in the construction and consumption of these events