Overview

The International Medieval Congress (IMC) is organised and administered by the Institute for Medieval Studies (IMS). Since its start in 1994, the Congress has established itself as an annual event with an attendance of over 2,200 medievalists from all over the world. It is the largest conference of its kind in Europe.

Drawing medievalists from over 50 countries, with over 2,000 individual papers and 750 academic sessions and a wide range of concerts, performances, readings, round tables, excursions, bookfair and associated events, the Leeds International Medieval Congress is Europe's largest annual gathering in the humanities.

The 25th anniversary IMC took place from 2-5 July 2018, with a Special Thematic Strand on Memory.

There are many kinds of memory - personal and social, natural and artificial, political and cultural. Along the lines of this general taxonomy, memory operates in many diverse modes: as a mechanism, process, instrument, and cognitive framework relating to, and concerning recreations of, the past - the social past, the institutional past as well as the past of an individual. Central in the process of storing, retrieving, and (re)constructing the past, memory is by no means a stable entity; it is always undergoing transformation.

In recent decades, memory has become a very fashionable research topic. In Medieval Studies, the concept of memory has been studied as permeating history, literature, language, religion, science, philosophy, and other fields. In addition to treating the processes of storing and retrieving information, the study of memory now naturally also encompasses personal and communal identity and self-fashioning, conceptualization of the world, perception of time and space, intellectual cognition and emotional reactions, established patterns and creativity, continuity and discontinuity, memorization and forgetting - to name but a few conceptual domains under scrutiny. This, however, also means that the study of memory has gradually become very complex and even somewhat elusive. In this sense, this special thematic strand offers a unique opportunity for a fresh and vigorous treatment of the field of memory in its astonishing breadth and variety.

Beginnings of the IMC

'Why don't we do that?’

In the early 1990s, there was an increasing demand for Europe to have its own international conference for Medieval Studies. Simon Forde, Director of the IMI, and Joyce Hill, Director of the CMS, brought together Leeds medievalists and their networks of scholars from around the world to launch the IMC in 1994. The support of the IMB and its contributors was crucial; members of IMB staff formed the core of the first IMC team. The inaugural IMC registered 859 delegates; in 2017 we welcomed close to 2500 participants from more than 50 different countries, and we expect even more in 2018.

Bodington and Weetwood

From its inception until 2012, the Congress was located at two sites - Bodington Hall and Weetwood Hall - situated some 6 kilometres (4 miles) north of the main University of Leeds campus; most delegates stayed on-site, and many look back on it as a unique bubble in which academics could meet and share ideas. It is remembered fondly by long-standing participants, and the final year closed with celebrations featuring a joust, live music, and the last ever Bodington Disco.

On-campus move

In 2013, the Congress moved onto the main University of Leeds campus where there was more space for academic sessions, professional development workshops, and public events, such as the ever-popular ‘Making Leeds Medieval’, a one-day event featuring combat displays, a craft fair, re-enactments, and musical entertainment. This move was welcomed, although Bodington and Weetwood are still looked upon with nostalgia by long-established attendees. The move offered scope for expansion and growth with a wider range of activities for a more immersive experience.

People of the IMC

The International Medieval Congress (IMC) is not just an international conference; it is the sum of the people who have taken part in various roles over the past 25 years. From its inception to the present day, almost 140 members of staff have worked on the IMC team, helping to plan and co-ordinate the event each year. This does not include the large numbers of temporary staff, many of them students at the University, whom we employ during the Congress week.

From the beginning, the IMC has been advised by a Standing Committee drawn from medievalists at the University of Leeds. Initially the Standing Committee also assisted with assembling the academic programme, but this task is now undertaken by a Programming Committee made up of academics from around the world, each one a leader in their field.

Perhaps most important to the IMC, however, are the delegates who attend each year. Without their contribution, the event would not be possible. By the end of 2018 we hope that more than 20,000 medievalists from across the world will have attended at least one IMC!

Where to now?

By the end of the International Medieval Congress (IMC) 2018, the IMC will have hosted more than 30,000 papers from medievalists at all stages of their careers.

For some, presenting a paper at the IMC has been a career-defining moment. In order to serve our delegates, we will continue to evolve as a platform for discussion and research. The IMC has always sought to foster the development of Medieval Studies. Recent innovations have included the addition of a programme of professional development workshops, giving delegates the chance to refine their skills and knowledge, as well as hands-on craft workshops, in which participants can try their hand at a range of activities, such as medieval embroidery, combat, or calligraphy.

This year, we are laying the foundations for the next 25 years. For the first time, Global Medieval Studies is a prominent feature of our programme. This shows the growing demand for papers on this subject - something we hope to encourage. In addition, this year will see the first annual New Voices Lecture. Given by Roland Betancourt, University of California, Irvine, this lecture will focus on the lives of Byzantine transgender and non-binary figures from the 5th to the 9th century. The series hopes to showcase new voices from across the field of Medieval Studies.

As we look ahead to the next 25 years, we plan to become even more inclusive, reaching out to an ever-wider range of participants, to explore new areas of research, and to incorporate new formats for presentation and research dissemination.

25 is a great milestone, but it is only the very beginning. Medieval Studies and the IMC are growing and developing in fascinating ways. The ambition of the Congress is to help in the shaping of what Medieval Studies will become.

Axel Müller
International Medieval Congress Director.