BFE and RMA Research Students’ Conference 2026

BFE and RMA Research Students’ Conference 2026

The British Forum for Ethnomusicology (BFE) and Royal Musical Association (RMA) Research Students’ Conference will take place at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), on 6–8 January 2026. The Research Students’ Conference is an excellent opportunity for you to gain valuable experience, whether you are presenting your work or attending, in a friendly and welcoming environment amongst peers and established academics.

The conference will take place in RBC’s bespoke building in the centre of Birmingham, featuring two concert halls, a jazz club, organ studio and the Lab (a black box performance area), as well as workshop spaces. We look forward to welcoming you to our central location for what promises to be a vibrant, supportive and diverse conference.

Booking Information

To register for the conference (in full, or individual days) please visit the respective links on the right of this page.

In addition to your booking information, you shall be asked for any accessibility requirements and dietary requirements. Please note that the conference fee covers light refreshments, but not meals (see below). This is an in-person event.

Everything you need to inform your booking should be below, but please send any queries to rsc2026birmingham@bcu.ac.uk.

Conference Schedule

The final programme, including further detail of early evening activities and social events, will be published along with abstracts in December.

The DRAFT conference overview is available here:
RMA/BFE Student Conference 2026 – Draft Schedule Overview
The DRAFT conference schedule is available here:
BFE/RMA Research Students' Conference 2026 - Full Conference programme - Draft

Please note that the call for papers is now closed.

Keynote speakers

Owen Coggins
Distortion, Ambiguity and Ideology in Underground Black Metal

Timothy Cooper in Conversation (Recipient of The Tippett Medal)
With performance of Labyrinth for baroque cello and electronics, featuring Lucia Capellaro (baroque cello)

Giles Masters: Recipient of The Jerome Roche Prize
For a Semi-Public Musicology (or, Hindemith in the Playground)

Professional Development sessions to include

All conference activity will take place at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham, UK B4 7XR.

Getting here

RBC is easily accessible from Birmingham City Centre: it is a walk of 15-20 minutes from the main station, Birmingham New Street. For directions on foot from New Street station (and from Moor Street station), and on accessing RBC by car from the motorway networks which serve the city, see map and directions. This link also leads to information on parking.

Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport. A free air-rail link connects the airport to Birmingham International Station, from where there are frequent connections to Birmingham New Street station. See Getting to Birmingham Airport by train.

Electronic travel authorisation

If you are travelling to us from outside the UK, please be aware of the new requirement for visitors to be in possession of an ETA; see: Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) factsheet.

Staying in Birmingham

We have negotiated conference rates in two hotels closest to RBC: Conference Aston Hotel, Birmingham City (B4 7ET) and Clayton Hotel, Birmingham (B5 5JE). Details of promotional codes will be available to conference registrants on request (please send an email to: rsc2026birmingham@bcu.ac.uk). Please book in good time.

Other hotel options close to RBC

• Aloft Birmingham Eastside, B7 4BL
• Premier Inn, Birmingham City Centre, B2 4NH
• Travelodge, Birmingham Central Moor Street, B4 7SS
• Travelodge, Birmingham Central Bull Ring, B5 4SG

Food and Drink

Light refreshments will be provided throughout the conference (please refer to the schedule), but please note that lunch and dinner will not be provided. Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is located near numerous food and drink outlets. Please feel free to ask the Committee for directions.

The nearest places are:

• Boult’s Bar (RBC’s own café)
• Mulino Birmingham (café in Millennium Point)
• Subway, Jennens Road
• Greggs, Aston Street
• Caffè Anno, Masshouse Lane
• Papa John’s Pizza, Masshouse Lane
• Co-op
• Tesco Express, Aston Street
• Eagle and Ball, Gopsal Street (pub)
• Sacks of Potatoes, Gosta Green (pub)
• The Gosta Green (pub)
• The Woodman (pub)
• Costa Coffee, Aston Street

Organisers

Co-chairs: (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire): Carrie Churnside and Juliane Deil

Conference committee: Michelle Assay (RMA Flagship Conferences Coordinator), Sarah Jillian Cox (RBC), Christopher Dingle (RBC), Joy Ellis (RBC), Chang Ge (RBC), Stina Homer (BFE Conference Liaison Officer), Edmund Hunt (RBC), Yihan Jin (RMA), Luigi Monteanni (BFE Student Liaison), Maya Morris (RMA) and April Wei-West (RMA)