Minutes of the Business Meeting, Network on Sociology of the Arts

Date: Friday 31 August, 2.30-3.45, Helsinki

Roughly 30 members participated.

Ti de Nora thanked all for attending, and for participating so fully in all network sessions (30 presenters in the Network sessionsplus 11 more in the Stream on Arts and Power [organised by J. Marontate and A.L. Tota]). In consultation with the meeting she announced an agenda (numbered 1-3 as follows).

1. Review

TDeN reviewed Network Progress since its inception at the 1999 Amsterdam meetings. In 1998 the idea of the network was proposed by Anna Lisa Tota. She and TDeN worked throughout that year to propose the network and generate a list of 14 'founder' members. The proposal was accepted by ESA in 1999 and the Network held its first, unofficial business meeting in Amsterdam. Officers were elected (DeNora, Chair, Tota, Vice-chair) and so was the first board (Hennion, Hitters, Marontate, von Sundahl, and Witkin). The first conference was held in Exeter, organised by DeNora and Witkin. It was well attended (40 participants), and funded in part by the British Academy. A publication of papers from that meeting has appeared as a special issue of Poetics (July 2001), invited by Kees van Rees. Further publications are planned. There are now 90 members on the mailing list.
TDeN made thanks to the board. TDeN also thanked A.L. Tota for her very hard work, officially, vice chair, but in effect, Co-convenor. Thanks were extended to J. Marontate for her work in organising the Stream.

2. Election of Officials

Nominations were called for the following positions: Chair, Vice Chair, Board.
Anna Lisa Tota was nominated for Chair, no other nominations. She was elected unanimously. Alain Quemin was nominated for Vice Chair, on the basis of his work, over the past 3 years, as secretary to ISA RC37. No other nominations. He was elected unanimously. Board nominations/elections were as follows: Tia DeNora (as past Chair),Frederick Engestad, Suzanne Janssen, Volker Kirchberg, Jan Marontate, Graciella Trajtenberg, and Robert Witkin (as 'decano').

3. Future Plans

Various proposals for the future of the Network were discussed. It was agreed to leave the matter of an interim conference in the hands of the new chair and board but there was enthusiasm for a middle meeting of some kind. The idea of instituting prizes (best book, best article and best postgraduate student paper) was received warmly. It was agreed that in principle, publications in any European language would be eligible, so as not to discriminate against 'minority' languages as well as preparing the ground for the work to be translated for wider distribution. It was proposed that prizes would be awarded every two years, at the main ESA meetings, and that at that time, up to two works in each category could be awarded prizes. The board and new officers will convene prize awarding committees.

Other possible projects introduced from the floor were: a list serve and a web-based newsletter. There was some discussion of a future summer school or symposium for research students. Various suggestions for collaboration with other networks and meetings were also discussed. A list asking for volunteers to help with these and other projects was circulated.

Tia de Nora , 4-9-01