Archive All Areas - People, Places, Music & Memories

Dr Jenn Chubb, Lecturer in the Department of Sociology has been involved in curating ‘Archive All Areas - People, Places, Music & Memories’ - an interactive and growing exhibition celebrating music in the city, the people and places within it, and the memories and artefacts we associate with them. Jenn's research 'AI, What's that Sound?' questions public attitudes towards AI in music-making and gig-going.

Music venues are the home to our memories, creative hubs and community centres that enable and enrich our lives daily, yet they are often viewed with less importance than other cultural spaces. From the Rialto to Fibbers, the Willow and hundreds more, they have come and gone but their impact upon us lives on in our memories and ephemera.

This exhibition celebrates the region's current and historic venues, the artists, organisers and audiences that use them, and questions how and why we remember them. 

Featuring content from the documentary 'So, which band is your boyfriend in?’, interactive displays, and a growing collection to which visitors are encouraged to bring their unique stories and items, Archive All Areas builds on the work of InterMusE, OurPlace and StreetLife’s Willow Community Project to capture York’s rich musical heritage.

There are opportunities to take part in current research. How do we evaluate the importance of grassroots music venues, their engagement, heritage, cultural and financial impact on communities? What can we discover about musical performance in York down through the centuries, and how have historic venues adapted to changing tastes and fashions over time? You can also help us by taking part in research about AI in music; ‘AI, What’s that Sound?' which poses questions about the digital, virtual and AI-enhanced future of music making and gig-going.

With workshops on archiving, merch production, and how to get into this evolving industry, the exhibition will also inspire and promote university research. We also want your views on new heritage trails which focus on the importance of historic music and queer spaces in York. The exhibition runs from 18th March - 20th April, downstairs at Streetlife Hub, 29-31 Coney St, York. For opening times and workshop information please visit  - https://www.streetlifeyork.uk/  or contact Jennifer Chubb, Department of Sociology, University of York.