Maren Hancock

Dr. Hancock’s research examines how power, identity and community shape participation in music and creative industries. Working across popular music studies and arts and cultural management, she focuses on DJ and electronic music cultures as sites of creativity, labour and social transformation. Her work is particularly concerned with the experiences of women, non-binary, trans and other gender-marginalized (FLINTA) artists and with addressing inequities in access, recognition and belonging. Her research is grounded in feminist, queer and community-engaged methodologies, often combining interviews, surveys, autoethnography, research-creation and creative practice. Drawing on her own experience as a DJ, she explores how knowledge is produced both on and off the dance floor and how artistic practice can function as research. She also investigates the gendered histories of DJ culture, including work on Régine (Zylberberg) as a foundational yet often overlooked trailblazing DJ, to trace questions of voice, absence and historiography. A key area of interest is how community-based initiatives—such as workshops, collectives and alternative performance spaces—can build more inclusive cultural ecosystems. Her current pilot project in Edmonton investigates how FLINTA-centered DJ education can foster well-being, creative confidence and sustained participation in local music scenes. Conducted in partnership with Vibe Collective, this work reflects her commitment to research that is collaborative, reciprocal and socially impactful. Her teaching is closely connected to her research, inviting students to critically engage with culture while developing practical skills for working in the arts. | DJ culture, electronic music, popular music studies, arts and cultural management, feminist research, queer theory, community-engaged research, FLINTA artists, gender and music, cultural entrepreneurship, creative industries, music scenes, ethnography, practice-based research, arts education, equity and inclusion in the arts, Kate Bush

Maren Hancock is Assistant Professor at MacEwan University. Their stated interests include Dr. Hancock’s research examines how power, identity and community shape participation in music and creative industries. Working across popular music studies and arts and cultural management, she focuses on DJ and electronic music cultures as sites of creativity, labour and social transformation. Her work is particularly concerned with the experiences of women, non-binary, trans and other gender-marginalized (FLINTA) artists and with addressing inequities in access, recognition and belonging. Her research is grounded in feminist, queer and community-engaged methodologies, often combining interviews, surveys, autoethnography, research-creation and creative practice. Drawing on her own experien. This summary considered all 2 collected sources.