Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research

What does BCMCR do?

BCMCR is focused on the principles of interdisciplinarity, critical investigation, collective and collaborative practice and social activism, along with a commitment to disseminate our research to, and beyond, the academy. Our intellectual project is grounded in a range of concerns in Media and Cultural Studies, and articulated through research in 9 clusters: CEDIA, Cultural Activism, Alternative Politics; Film and the Digital Image; Game Cultures; Gender & Sexuality; History, Heritage & Archives; Media, Journalism & Place; Popular Music Studies; and South Asian Media. These areas of inquiry are nuanced through an annual or biennial research theme selected by centre members, allowing us to be both responsive and reflexive in our work.

Founded in November 2009, to offer a coherent space for the development of research in the field of Media and Cultural Studies at BCU, the Centre has grown and prospered, now boasting more than 60 members across its community of academic staff and postgraduate researchers. Alongside a range of universities both locally and globally, we work closely with a diverse group of creative and cultural businesses and organisations based in the West Midlands and beyond. These include Birmingham-based Sampad, Vivid Arts and the GAP Arts Project; national bodies such as the Crafts Council, British Library, and the British Film Institute; and international partners like Meedan (USA), the Women in Cinema Collective (India), and the Schwules Museum (Germany).