The International Journal of Motorcycle Studies returned to London, England in July of 2016 to hold its 6th conference. Held at the Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London the event drew motorcycle enthusiasts and scholars from around the world. Covering a full array of interdisciplinary fields, this conference and the accompanying art exhibit proved as lively as ever, allowing for an energetic exchange of ideas, vigorous debate, personal and professional networking, and camaraderie amongst the attendees. Focused on academic presentations, we take great pride in the broader purpose of our conference: the opportunity to share one’s work with other motorcycle minded individuals in an environment that not only accommodates formal presentations, but also includes casual activities and outings where folks can converse about their unique interests. Those in attendance benefitted from the many perspectives offered, as motorcycle related discussions started early in the day and proceeded well into the evening. Given the continual conversation, we the organizers consider this to have been another successful conference and look forward to welcoming all of you to our next event in 2017.
For a complete summary of the 2016 presentations please read the programme available at the conference microsite.
Let us take a moment to thank the Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London for once again welcoming us with open arms and volunteering to host our conference. The faculty and staff have gone out of their way to work with us and the campus has proven an ideal venue. In particular we’d like to call out the following folks for their contributions in London: Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor David Crow and Professor Chris Wainwright of Chelsea, Camberwell and Wimbledon Colleges, UAL; George Blacklock, Dean of Chelsea; Ella Bulley, Kate Sedwell, and the International Projects and Development team; Kathryn Round and Kadett Hulsman for their assistance with the art exhibit; Adam Fuller and Lewis Saye for the social media promotion; Phil Polglaze for photographing events at the conference; India Jackson for designing our comprehensive printed program, and the Ace Cafe for publicizing the event.
We really appreciate “Dutch” van Someren of The Bike Shed serving as our keynote speaker and for hosting our attendees at their amazing motorcycle hotspot. Thanks as well to Andrew Almond for granting us access to BOLT Motorcycles so we could see his operation at work and we are also grateful to Andrew/BOLT for contributing artwork and assisting Caryn Simonson on the curation of the exhibit.
Finally, we’d also like to take this time to thank the conference organizers, especially Caryn Simonson, whose hard work and dedication made this year’s event a reality. The efforts of Lisa Garber are equally appreciated as she diligently wrangled and reviewed the conference proposals and sent out the much anticipated acceptance letters. Tim Fransen’s mastery of all things digital has once again made the IJMS website look and function as well as it does and he also created the conference microsite, enabling us to spread the word about the journal and our annual event. Thanks as well to Sheila Malone, Christian Pierce, and John Sumser (the IJMS editorial staff) for their work behind the scenes. Without the contributions for those listed above, our journal and its conference would not be possible.
Planning for our 2017 conference at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs is currently underway. Please see the Call For Papers page.