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Jazz and Race, Past and Present Conference

10-12 November 2010
The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK

The Black British Jazz project is hosting the international conference 'Jazz and Race, Past and Present' at The Open University in Milton Keynes, UK. It will begin with an early evening reception on Wednesday 10 November 2010.

Emerging at the confluence of diverse streams, the genre we know as jazz was made predominantly by African-Americans for a good deal of its history. Indeed, African-American musicians and critics have often claimed the form as their own, part of their people's struggle to assert their humanity in the face of a racialised structure of power which would deny it. However, year by year this position grows more difficult to sustain as jazz spreads around the world, and more musicians of other ethnic origins, and who are socially positioned in different ways, enter the field. Often they bring their own distinct musical and cultural resources to bear on the problem of making jazz. Meanwhile, of course, racial oppression persists in western and other societies. The aims of the conference are to examine, refute or develop this account, and to do so across all the disciplines which touch on jazz.

We are delighted to be welcoming scholars from around the world to deliver papers at what promises to be an exciting and stimulating event. The draft schedule can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Conference convenors

Catherine Tackley
What is Black British Jazz?, The Open University

Jason Toynbee
What is Black British Jazz?, The Open University

Tony Whyton
Salford University

Nicholas Gebhardt
Lancaster University

Keynote speaker

Prof Guthrie Ramsey (University of Pennsylvania) will deliver the keynote speech on 'Jazz as Social Contract'.

Location

The conference will take place on the Open University's campus at Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, which is approximately 50 miles north of London, easily accessible by road and rail.

Directions and maps can be found on the Open University contacts page.
Travel advice provides information on parking on campus.

Accommodation

The Open University has agreed a special rate at:

  • Hilton Milton Keynes, Timbold Drive, Kents Hill Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK7 6HL
  • Alternatives are:
  • Kents Hill Training & Conference Centre
  • Mercure Parkside Hotel
  • LateRooms.com is a useful website to find last minute deals.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner (included in the registration fee) will take place in The Inn at Woburn on Thursday evening.

London Jazz Festival

It's worth noting that the conference takes place immediately before the London Jazz Festival, and so could be combined with a weekend of great jazz just down the road/line in the capital.

Contact Us

Kerry Lawrence, British Black Jazz Project Secretary
Sociology Department
Faculty of Social Sciences
Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
United Kingdom

Tel. +44 (0)1908 654558
Fax +44 (0)1908 659267

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Conference programme (PDF document, updated 11 October 2010)49.42 KB