At the University of Melbourne there was a multi-faceted meeting on the singer’s career and influence.
In advance of the Australian part of “The Eras” tour, which starts in Australia on February 16th, a two-day “Swiftposium” started at the University of Melbourne. At the conference, experts from the fields of economics, gender studies, medicine, musicology and urban planning discussed the “Taylor Swift” phenomenon at length. The conference, which took place Feb. 11-13, said on the university’s website that it was “for scholars who wanted to engage in critical dialogue about Swift’s popularity and its profound impact on a range of issues.”
Academics from all over the world traveled
A total of 400 papers from 78 universities around the world were submitted for discussion at the event. Of these, 130 topics were accepted by researchers with different focuses. Ultimately, participants spoke about, among other things, feminism in their lyrics, the use of their songs for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the fight against deep fake images of Taylor Swift. There was also a lecture at the “Swiftposium” by Dr. Georgia Carroll, who published a dissertation on fan communities like Swift’s in 2023.
Swifties could also take part
In addition to the actual conference, RMIT University hosted a “Fanposium” on February 11th. This was a “Swiftposium” offshoot to which fans and the public had access. The three-hour event included “a panel discussion with experts, presentations from fans and a screening of the documentary ‘Miss Americana,'” according to the university’s website.
Continuation of the tour
On February 16, Taylor Swift will perform her first of three concerts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as part of The Eras Tour. This will be followed by four shows in Sydney, with which the pop star will end the Australian leg on February 26th at Accor Stadium. In the summer she will be traveling to Germany.
All of Taylor Swift’s Germany dates at a glance:
- July 17, 2024: Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen
- July 18, 2024: Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen
- 19. July 2024: Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen
- July 23, 2014: Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
- July 24, 2024: Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
- July 27, 2024: Olympic Stadium, Munich
- July 28, 2024: Olympic Stadium, Munich