We are welcoming 500-1000 word contributions to our developing A-Z of Secrecy and Ignorance. Beginning online, we aim to see this published as an edited volume. If you have a core concept and research project you would like to draw attention to, please get in touch with Elspeth. You can see examples of existing contributions on the SPIN Blog, such as ‘Curiosity’, ‘Gaslighting’, ‘Official Record’, ‘Omerta,’ and ‘Conspiracy Theory’.
New Series of SPIN Podcasts
We are recording a new series of short talks (10-15 minutes) and ‘In Conversation’ sessions for the SPIN Podcast series on May 20th. If you’d like to share your work or be interviewed and are available (for either in-person recording in Bristol or recording remotely) please get in touch with Elspeth.
Photography Commission
Working with the Martin Parr Foundation, SPIN is pleased to announce the third round of the MPF-SPIN Photo-essay Commission. Eligible photographers are invited to submit applications for the £1000 award (plus travel expenses up to £250). Proposal deadline, 06 May 2024. Further details on the SPIN website, along with the successful commissions from the first two rounds.
Become a SPIN Patron
Please consider becoming a patron of SPIN Labs through Patreon. SPIN Labs is a creative, research-led, social justice-oriented hub for generating new creative ways to think about the politics of knowledge un-making. We are trying to leverage the capital and funding we receive from academic institutions to fund opportunities for research fellows, artists, creative producers, organisations and collectives beyond higher education. Become a Patreon here.
SPIN-ster Events
Our next working paper session, 14th May. Chloe Peacock (Sheffield), ‘Justifying(In)Justice: Racism, ignorance and the cultural politics of punishment after the 2011 riots’. Please check your inbox for invites. The paper will be circulated on or around the 1st of May.
Our next SPIN Research in Progress session will be held 12 June, 2pm. Please check your inbox for invites.
We are taking suggestions for the upcoming 2024-2025 SPIN Paper sessions (Sep-June). If you would like to present, do get in touch.
We are pleased to share a YouTube recording of the March 13th SPIN talk given by Rory Cormac, Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, sharing work from his new project ‘FAKERS: Lessons from the Rise and Fall of Cold War (Counter-) Disinformation.’ Stream here.
Welcome to SPIN Dr Lydia Morgan. Dr Morgan is completing a monograph on ‘State Secrecy in the Liberal Democratic State’, offering valuable insights into UK law and policy within liberal democratic theory. She is also spearheading a multi-jurisdictional research project on Transparency in the Five Eyes Intelligence Sharing Network.
Welcome ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, Dr Hannah Wright to SPIN’s network. Dr Wright’s research has broadly addressed the relationships among gender, race, class, militarism, and coloniality, focusing on how masculinity and femininity shape security institutions and practices.
SPIN Labs is looking forwards to working with creatives and organisations including Compass Presents, Sunnie Martin and Oskar McCarthy this spring. All are working as SPIN Art Fellows on creative activities, events and outputs that will look to encourage members of the public to think about how secrecy and ignorance matter in our lives and in our politics. More details to follow.
New Publications and Press
Most recently in our A-Z series of secrecy and ignorance:
C is for Conspiracy Theory: Clare Birchall, Professor of Contemporary Culture, King’s College London, reminds us that ‘Conspiracy Theory’ is a pejorative, subjective term used to denigrate certain ideas and ways of knowing
O is for Omertà: Kate Thornton, University of Bristol Politics and Internation Relations student, defines Omertà and the terms’ relation to secrecy, loyalty, and mutual reliance.
SPIN is pleased to share news from Edmund Clarke whose work has been acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum. Works include ‘Control Order House’ and ‘Negative Publicity: Artefacts of Extraordinary Rendition’ and will be going on display in the V&A Photography Centre in June 2024.