DIY: Alternative Modes of Cultural Production in Modern and Contemporary Anglophone Literatures

Hosted by the University of Vienna, the course is particularly relevant for students in English and American Studies (Literature and Cultural Studies), Theatre and Performance Studies, Sociology, and History, especially those interested in alternative cultural production, marginalised voices, and critical approaches to literature and society.

From small presses to performance-as-publishing, what alternative forms of cultural production have emerged in modern & contemporary Anglophone literatures to reach audiences beyond academia and the traditional literary world? How do these modes enable diverse and marginalised voices to share their artistic work on their own terms?

In recent decades, writers, artists, and activists from underrepresented communities have expanded the forms and channels through which their voices are heard, seen, and felt. This course explores what these alternative modes teach us about subverting and queering dominant narratives in society at large. 

We will examine a wide range of alternative practices—including small-press publishing, spoken word collectives, street performance, zine-making, podcasts, online poetry, digital storytelling, and visual and sonic interventions on social media. These examples will open up critical discussions on the forms of cultural production that operate beyond institutional and mainstream literary circuits.

We will also investigate how creators navigate the material realities of independent production, addressing issues such as precarity, access, and institutional exclusion. In doing so, the course will challenge the politics of the mainstream and critically examine how hegemonic structures in society are reproduced in literary production itself.

This online course, organised by Shefali Banerji, PhD Researcher, and Dr. Rachel Bolle Debessay, Postdoctoral Researcher, incorporates a hands on ethos through creative engagement with these alternate modes of cultural production. It also includes guest sessions by Dr. Louisa Olufsen Layne (University of Oslo), Dr. Evi Heinz (Humboldt University of Berlin), and Claudia Sackl, MA MA (University of Zurich).

By the end of the course, students will:
 

• Learn alternative/non-traditional approaches to the examination of cultural production and its impact on the reception, circulation and engagement with the public
   
• Analyse and evaluate how abstract theoretical frameworks intersect with artistic forms to function as sites of resistance and social critique
   
• Reflect on and experiment with creative practices themselves, using imagination as a tool to explore alternative worldviews and social possibilities
   
• Apply creative-critical methods of engagement with alternative cultural practices and learn how they intersect with DIY culture espoused by marginalized communities
   
• Write analytical texts and develop their academic writing skills
   
• Connect with students and lecturers from around Europe, and foster international collaboration and exchange

After the course, students will select extracts from their completed assignments for publication as a creative-critical output in an edited e-book.

This is an interactive online course. Regular attendance and active participation are required. Students may miss up to 2 x 90 minute segments, which equals 1 full 180 minute session or 2 separate 90 minute segments.

Students must complete and pass each course requirement and achieve an overall grade of at least 60% in order to pass the course. The plagiarism detection software Turnitin will be used for written assignments. The use of generative AI is not permitted in this course.

• Active participation: 10%

• 250 word reflections: 15%

• Workshop activities: 15%

• Group presentation: 20%

• Final paper, including the self selected extract for publication: 40%

Active participation
This includes preparation of session materials, individual contributions, work with a partner, and work in groups.

250 word reflections
At the end of each day, students are expected to write a 250 word critical reflection on the day’s material. This is intended as a space to collect thoughts, quotations, questions, and connections as they engage with the course material throughout the semester.

Workshop activities
Each block session will include a workshop component, such as zine making or creative writing, in which students must actively participate. Materials produced during the workshops form part of the assessment.

Group presentation
Students will deliver a 20 minute group presentation on the course readings and key concepts, including additional sources they have researched independently.

Final paper
Students are required to submit a final paper of 3000 words, plus or minus 10%, by 16 August. The paper should demonstrate engagement with the course material as well as independent research.

Grade Scale in %

1 (very good): 90 to 100
2 (good): 80 to 89
3 (satisfactory): 70 to 79
4 (pass): 60 to 69
5 (fail): 0 to 59

Examination Material

There will be no written exam. Assessment is continuous and consists of the elements listed above, namely active participation, 250 word reflections, workshop activities, group presentation, and final paper, including the self selected extract for publication.

Participants will receive a grade.