Open call: Social Impact of Music Making symposium in Belgium

Building on the previous SIMM-posia in Ghent, London, Porto, Bogota, Brussels, Paris, London, Brisbane and Copenhagen, the 2025 Brussels SIMM-posium will feature presentations, thematic panels and keynotes, exploring the social impact of participatory music-making across a wide range of cultural contexts and countries.

Participants may also organise panel sessions that make a distinctive and creative contribution to the SIMM-posium. In that case the maximum time allowed will be 90 minutes, consisting of up to six 10-minute presentations and a 30-minute discussion. One of the speakers should be nominated as a convenor, who will make the submission on behalf of the other speakers, including a 250-word description of the rationale and content of the panel session and a 200 word abstract for each participant’s presentation.

There is provision in the programme for up to about 40 brief (10 minute) presentations of academic as well as artistic research, research-related work in progress or critical reflections on research, which are curated into thematic panels and followed by plenary discussions. Artistic and creative research methods are welcomed alongside presentations of community-centred empirical theoretical or methodological inquiry.

The expressions of interest should be submitted via email to Lukas Pairon (l[email protected]) before 15 April 2025. This should include name, institutional affiliation, current professional role(s) and a 250 word statement of relevant professional experience and background (why you wish to attend this symposium). Applicants should additionally include a title and a 200 word abstract of the presentation of your research.

Successful applicants will be notified no later than 31 May 2025, and will then be invited to register.

“Presentations of research will be welcomed which try to help us come to a better understanding of the possible role of the practice of music-making within social and community music projects and programmes. Specific topics of interest of this conference will be communicated later on,” a statement reads.

View the original call here.