World first for Salford pop festival professor
Professor George McKay
A University of Salford academic will be the first ever Professor in Residence at a music festival when he takes to the stage for a series of lectures and pop star discussions at the Lake District's Kendal Calling (29 - 31 July).
Professor of Cultural Studies, George McKay, will appear on the Soapbox Stage to discuss topics as diverse as disabled rock stars and guerrilla gardening, as well as hold debates with festival musicians on the subject of politics and pop.
Professor McKay's ground-breaking role follows extensive academic writing about pop festivals - from his earliest work in 1996 exploring the free festival movement, to his cultural history of Glastonbury Festival in 2000.
He explained: "For me, being Professor in Residence is a terrific opportunity to take material out to a different audience and in a different kind of setting. Who says lectures have to be in lecture theatres? I think pop festivals are exciting places for public engagement."
It was a similarly unique lecture that inspired Professor McKay to suggest the Kendal Calling role to that festival. He said: "I did a public lecture in Bristol last year for a group of new travellers and free party people as part of the Economic and Social Research Council's Festival of Science.
"I was using a mic and standing next to an almighty sound system. The crowd seemed to enjoy it - I certainly did, and I came away really buzzing."
Kendal Calling is an award-winning, independent festival based in the Lake District, featuring contemporary music and art. Last year it won the Best Small Festival category in Festival Awards UK.
Organiser Ben Robinson said: "We think George's role is a first for any festival anywhere - we are the only one with its own in-house professor. George will be giving two short illustrated lectures on our Soapbox Stage, introducing topics from his own work he thinks will be of interest to a festival audience, followed by a Q&A session. We're hoping we can get him to do a discussion with one or two of the musicians appearing as well."
Professor McKay will be delivering his first lecture entitled 'Crippled with Nerves: Freaks, Punks and Disabled Pop Stars' on Friday 29 July at 5.30pm, and his second - 'Radical Gardens: From Flower Power to Guerrilla Gardening' - on Sunday 31 July at 4pm.
Professor McKay added: "I'm working on a new book about festivals at the moment, called Carnivalising Pop, so when you see me watching a band or hanging out in the beer tent at Kendal Calling I can reassure you I am actually working!"
