Across the span of history, some humans become mythic beings. Some humans become so famous that they rule over the zeitgeist. Some humans become so big that they transcend the very humanity that made them popular in the first place. In 2023, this arguably happened to the pop star Taylor Swift.
Over the past couple of years, Swift has slaughtered moment after moment. Her Eras Tour has made a billion dollars, and The Eras Tour movie has become the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Swift was even named TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year.
What’s more, Australia’s academia scene now wants in on the action. In February 2024, RMIT University and the University of Melbourne are teaming up to present a Swiftposium, a three-day academic conference that will discuss all things Swift. This event will feature professors, fans, and music journalist Cameron Adams.
To kick this shindig off, RMIT University is hosting a Fanposium, a day dedicated to fans of Swift — aka the Swifties. The Fanposium will feature a mix of academic panels and traditional Swiftie activities, such as trading friendship bracelets.
According panellist Kate Pattison, the Fanposium is going to dive into the many facets of Swift’s career, as well as her impact on industries beyond her own. Pattinson is a PhD Candidate at RMIT, specialising in Music Fan Studies, and is currently writing a PhD about Swift.
“This offers a fantastic opportunity for researchers, who often study pop cultural phenomena retrospectively,” Pattinson said of the Fanposium. “Right now, there are people studying her from many angles, including the economic impacts of her tour, fan engagement and marketing, advocacy, gender, songwriting, and more.
“She is such an interesting subject for discussion, and I can’t wait to share those conversations with the Swifties and anyone else who wants to come along to Fanposium.”
How to Attend the Taylor Swift Fanposium
The Taylor Swift Fanposium is taking place at The Capitol in Melbourne’s CBD. It will kick off at 1.30pm on February 11.
Tragically, the Fanposium gave all of its tickets away within a 24-hour period. But if you want to sign up for its waitlist, click the link here.
The first batch of Fanposium tickets were free. If more become available, there’s a chance that they’d have an asking price.
Meanwhile, the other two days of the Swiftposium will be on February 12 and February 13. However, these two days aren’t open to the public.
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