XClose

Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS)

Home
Menu

CfP 'Music Futures', a 1-year cycle of activities dedicated to thinking, writing & performing music

30 September 2021

The IAS, the European Institute and UCL Grand Challenges are calling for proposals which seek to explore, with a sense of sustainability, how work on music at and/or with UCL might develop in the future.

Music Futures logo

In the absence of a dedicated department of musicology, we want to bring together UCL academics working on and with music in a wide range of disciplines, in order to foster a new cluster of scholarship and creativity in this space. This could include research about music - be it in literature, history, philosophy, technology, law or elsewhere - as well as research qua creative or performative practice.

In line with the general remit of both the Institute of Advanced Studies and the European Institute, we will encourage critical interdisciplinary work on music, especially projects that aim to bridge the gap between humanistic approaches and the rapidly expanding work in cognitive science and neuroscience. Music Futures also aims to draw in musicians, composers and performers external to UCL, in order to explore with us the epistemologies of creative practice.

We are planning three areas of activity:

  1. The present open call for proposalsA total of up to £20,000 is available for the initiative. No minimum amount or range is specified for individual applications. All UCL researchers and professional services staff are eligible to apply. We particularly encourage collaborations across units at UCL, and with external partners. As to outputs and formats, we encourage you to be as creative and experimental as you like. They may include a range of performances, exhibitions, public conversations, virtual or face-to-face; short films; concerts with conversations; workshops; reading/discussion groups; practice sessions, and much more.
  2. A curated series of three public performance-conversations and/or short film or creative projects, bringing together musicians and academics in a joint space of exploration - live, if pandemically possible. We will explore partnering for this element with one of London’s established music and performance spaces.
  3. Community building: A preparatory roundtable was held on 24 June, and gave short glimpses into UCL research engaged with music, and creating a first community of interest at UCL. A dedicated shopfront website features UCL academics with an interest in music, and any face-to-face events provides ample opportunity for networking. The year’s cycle will then be closed by a second roundtable, looking into how the project can have a lasting impact. 

The deadline for proposals is 1 November 2021. Read more on the Call for Proposals webpage.