Amateur media are intrinsically part of today’s audio-visual culture. While amateur film, photography and video, but also sound recording and computer technologies used to be accessible only to a relatively small group of amateurs and hobbyists, the emergence of digital media technologies and the Web 2.0 brought about new, ubiquitous cultures of sharing and creation. Not only the technological means and their accessibility have changed significantly throughout the 20th century, but also the meanings of amateurism itself. From a serious form of leisure, often combined with artistic idealism, to the aesthetic counterpart of professionalism as well as new (online) forms of self-representation and performativity.

This workgroup aims to bring together scholars, but also archivists and filmmakers interested in the histories and theories of users, technologies, practices and cultures of amateur media production, distribution and reception. It is meant to serve as a platform for networking and the exchange of knowledge and experience, with a focus on research methods and materials.

This workgroup is co-founded by Prof. Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Prof. Dr. Yvonne Zimmermann, Dr. Tim van der Heijden, and Alexander Stark, M.A.

You will need to be approved by workgroup lead.