Pedro Belchior Nunes, integrated researcher at the Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for Studies in Music and Dance, co-authors with Ana Resende Clément the article “Autonomy, negotiation, and reenactment: the case of folk musicians playing in ‘medieval fairs’, recently published in open access by the Creative Industries Journal, taking advantage, for this purpose, of the transformative agreements established by the national consortium B-on for the three-year period 2025–2027.
Abstract:
This article explores the role of folk musicians in historical re-enactment events in Portugal, with a particular focus on medieval fairs. Building on a previous study in which we examined these musicians’ practices and values regarding music publishing, promotion, and the viability of sustainable careers through autonomous —often described as DIY—modes of production, we turned our attention to medieval fairs as a case study in which strategies of negotiation, compliance and dismissal are put in display as musicians manage their often precarious careers.