BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A one-of-a-kind Taylor Swift academic conference is going on right now at Indiana University. The conference is bringing people together from all around the world!
“I was like ah, connecting with other Swifties in the Indiana area is great, so let’s go,” said Maggie Regan, one of the attendees.
Taylor Swift: The Conference Era is bringing fans together to discuss the artist’s influence on pop culture and beyond.
“Taylor Swift is one of the most well-known artists of our time and our generation,” said Natalia Almanza, the organizer of the conference. “Having a platform for scholars to speak about her and to have these scholarly discussions in an accessible way was really important to us and really something we wanted to prioritize and do this year and it just happened to be one of her most successful years too which was coincidental in that way.”
More than 1200 people are expected to attend the sold-out academic conference. Discussions will include the singer’s impact on the global economy and tourism as well as how she has shaped the current music industry.
“Even from just planning this conference and working in that field, I’ve learned more and more about how many fields she impacts, and I think there is not a single field where we can talk about Taylor Swift in,” Almanza said.
However, that’s not all. The conference is also highlighting Taylor Swift as a person and not just the star that many people know and love.
“[I love] everything she stands for,” Regan said. “Being a nice person, spreading kindness, standing up for yourself, advocating for yourself, and just being the best version of yourself.”
Swifites said they are excited to continue to celebrate all things Taylor Swift all weekend long.
“Having everyone come together and having this space to have a discourse about Taylor is really, really cool,” Regan said.
Sunday is the last day of the conference which ends with a Taylor Swift inspired artist market. Even though the conference is sold out, the artist market is open to everyone. The artist market will be from noon to 4 p.m. at the Gayle Karch Cook Center for Public Arts and Humanities.
