| dc.description.abstract | The
main
aims
of
this
study
were
to
look
at
how
the
concept
of
Open
Mic
is
constructed,
how
open
the
events
are
and
what
Open
Mic
mean
to
the
people
involved.
The
method
consisted
of
observations
(including
participant
observation)
of
seven
different
Open
Mic
venues
and
interviews
with
eight
artists
and
producers
in
Gothenburg.
ANT
–
Actor-‐network
theory
was
used
as
a
tool
to
analyse
the
material.
Artists,
producers
and
audience
are
part
of
a
network
that
make
Open
Mic
happen,
and
the
roles
often
change,
e.g.
an
artist
can
also
be
a
member
of
the
audience
or
one
of
the
producers.
The
events
are
often
informal
and
are
run
by
people
with
a
big
passion
for
music
and/or
poetry.
It
usually
doesn’t
cost
much
financially
to
run
an
Open
Mic,
but
it
can
be
time
consuming
and
energy
draining.
It
works
a
bit
differently
though
at
venues
where
producers
are
paid
by
other
parts,
e.g.
the
council.
The
producers
decide
modus
or
set
the
atmosphere,
but
there
are
also
non-‐human
actors
like
alcohol,
sign-‐up
sheets
and
instruments
that
affect
the
events.
Although
Open
Mic
is
supposed
to
be
open
for
everyone
and
everything
each
venue
is
a
different
world
with
unwritten
rules.
To
generalise
there’s
a
difference
between
pub
venues
and
café
venues.
Poems,
women
and
transgender
people
are
not
very
common
at
the
pub
venues
whereas
the
cultural
climate
at
the
café
arenas
is
different.
However
the
worlds
are
not
closed
for
change
and
it’s
possible
to
rearrange
the
content
of
what
Bruno
Latour
calls
”the
black
box”.
A
few
people
also
move
between
the
different
worlds,
making
them
more
open.
There’s
a
cluster
of
fragments
that
unite
the
artists
who
visit
Open
Mic
events:
their
passion
for
music
or
poetry,
an
addiction
to
the
stage,
a
place
where
they
can
rehearse
or
try
out
new
work.
They
also
see
it
as
a
meeting
place,
a
social
event
as
well
as
an
event
where
they
can
network
and
find
new
opportunities.
The
artists
were
positive
to
the
concept
of
Open
Mic
and
excused
themselves
for
sometimes
being
critical,
e.g.
admitting
that
the
audience
isn’t
always
very
attentive.
Most
interviewees
mentioned
that
they
wanted
more
Open
Mic
events,
but
some
weren’t
aware
of
all
the
existing
venues. | sv |
