Cultural Activism and Alternative Politics

Cultural Activism, Alternative Politics is an interdisciplinary cluster that aims to explore the significance of cultural theory for interpreting and reconceptualising contemporary politics, with particular emphasis placed upon its discursive constructions and everyday realities. The cluster intersects with individual research interests to explore common themes and formulates shared goals and interventions. 

Based in BCMCR, but with membership across the University, the Cultural Activism, Alternative Politics cluster aims to explore cultural theory in relation to contemporary politics. The cluster examines how various constructions of identity, history, interest, and inequalities intersect in ways that order and disrupt everyday social realities and political practices. Our shared interests include the politics of voice and listening; migration and citizenship; identity politics; political engagement and democracy, particularly for marginalised groups; social movements; temporal and spatial politics; the politics of Higher Education; art and activism; and practice-based research.

The cluster organises events - including reading/discussion groups, screenings, and panel discussions. Cluster members have recently collaborated with colleagues at University of Brighton, University of Manchester, and Freie-Universität Berlin, amongst others. We also undertake collaborative writing projects within the Journal of Sonic Studies, Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education, and Time and Society. The cluster is also a space for peer reviewing work prior to and following reviews. Outputs from the cluster have shaped research-informed teaching in Media and Sociology. 

Areas of activity 

• Migration and citizenship 
• Social movements 
• Identities (including reconsiderations of identity politics) 
• Cultural studies approaches to art and activism 
• The political potential of practice-based research 

The politics of: 

• Voice and listening 
• Higher Education 
• Time and space 

Cluster members

• Professor Kirsten Forkert   
• Dr Zaki Nahaboo 
• Dr Tony Armstrong 
• Dr Gemma  Commane  
• Dr Emma Craddock   
• Dr Fadia Dakka   
• Dr Birgan Gokmenoglu 
• Dr Ed McKeon   
• Dr Licheng Qian 
• Professor Rob Smith 
• Dr Poppy Wilde   
• Dr Esther Windsor 

Postgraduate Researchers

• Shameela Yoosuf Ali 
• Andrew Bell 
• Reuben Mount