BFE Spring Symposium hosted at Bath Spa University – 9 April 2027

Conference Website: http://www.bfespring27.co.uk/

Submissions are now accepted for the British Forum for Ethnomusicology Spring Symposium, to be held on Friday 9 April 2027 at Bath Spa University on the following theme:

What Value do we Place on Ethnomusicology in Higher Education?

Call for Papers

Music departments in Higher Education are facing increasing challenges to the way they teach music, with many forced to justify the existence of music as a subject at their institution. This special one-day meeting invites BFE members to participate in debate, asking the question: What value do we place on ethnomusicology in Higher Education?

We know that the anthropological study of music can help to break down fixed notions of the traditional prerequisites to musical study that propagate systemic issues of privilege. Therefore, should ethnomusicology play a stronger role in providing a solution-based approach to the challenges in HE? The discussion will focus on how we communicate the value of ethnomusicological research to non-academic audiences, prompting questions and solutions on how to assess the impact of our research on wider society. We invite contributions that reflect these issues, including (but not limited to):

•    The role of ethnomusicology in Higher Education and its impact on wider society;
•    Developing relationships with community organisations and activities;
•    Understanding music in different cultural contexts;
•    Applied ethnomusicology;
•    New pedagogical approaches;
•    Performances and practice-based work;
•    Ethnomusicological contribution and collaboration across (musical and non-musical) disciplines;
•    The role and responsibility of ethnomusicology in decolonising Higher Education and academia;
•    Exploring (in)equality, inclusivity and privilege through an ethnomusicological lens;
•    Questions of power, equality and equity in relationships between researchers, creative practitioners, learners, and institutions.
•    Ethical perspectives on cross-cultural ‘knowledge exchange’ and collaboration in contemporary contexts;
•    The role of ethnomusicology in developing community and cohesion;
•    Ethnomusicology and academic freedom;
•    Communicating and presenting ethnomusicology within Higher Education pedagogy;
•    Ethnomusicology in the public sphere;
•    International perspectives on the role and challenges of ethnomusicology in Higher Education;
•    Ethnomusicology, digital mediation, and changing modes of communication, engagement, and knowledge creation;
•    Demonstrating and evaluating the impact of ethnomusicological research.

Keynote Speaker
Professor Pamela Burnard (Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge)

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 18 December 2026, 5pm via ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM: https://tinyurl.com/5ae4e8u2

Please note that all presenters must be members of BFE at the time of the conference.

We welcome proposals for:
•    Papers (20 minutes with 10 minutes for questions)
•    Roundtables (3–5 short presentations, 10–15 minutes each, followed by a chaired discussion, totalling 1.5 or 2 hours)
•    Posters
•    Films, audio pieces, podcasts/digital audio, or other media presentations (20 or 50 minutes with 10 minutes for questions)
•    Collaborative presentations, e.g. including an ethnomusicologist with one or more practitioners, performers, or other research participants. Collaborative research participants do not need to be members of BFE, although the person submitting the proposal should be at the time of the conference. Please contact the local organising committee to discuss possible options.

Abstracts for individual papers should be no more than 250 words. For roundtables, please submit an abstract for the session (up to 500 words), including some indication of each presenter’s contribution. For all other presentations (including collaborative presentations, media presentations and workshops), please submit an abstract for the session (up to 250 words). For all formats, please include a short biography (up to 100 words) for each presenter.

All abstracts will be peer reviewed. We aim to respond to applications by 18 January. The programme will be announced on 1 February.

Conference Code of Conduct
The conference will be run in accordance with the BFE/RMA Conference Code of Conduct. By taking part in the conference, you agree to be bound by these codes.

Bursaries and Student Prize
We invite presenters and attendees who are students, who are BIPOC scholars, or who are unable to pay fees because of severe economic, political or other constraints to apply for a subsidy or waiver to help defray the costs of participating in the conference. Details concerning available bursaries will be circulated on the BFE email list closer to the conference date.
Student presenters are also encouraged to submit their papers for the BFE Student Prize, awarded annually for the best student paper presented at the BFE annual conference.

Call for papers deadline: 18 December 2026
Symposium date:  9 April 2027
Venue: Michael Tippett Centre, Newton Park, Bath Spa University
Conference Website: http://www.bfespring27.co.uk/