Discussion on thematic axes of RIAM Symposium 2026

1. Music and Arts Education as Relational and Democratic Practice

Music and the arts are increasingly understood not merely as aesthetic domains but as relational and socially embedded practices that shape and are shaped by communities. Within this perspective, artistic engagement fosters identity formation, a sense of belonging, and modes of emotional communication that transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries. Such practices support democratic participation and social cohesion, positioning the arts as spaces where dialogue, recognition, and shared agency can emerge. Importantly, this strand challenges instrumental and outcome-driven models of education, advocating instead for a view of the arts as intrinsically valuable sites of human connection, mutual recognition, and participatory meaning-making.

• Music and arts as relational, community-based, and socially embedded practices

• Identity, belonging, and emotional communication

• Democratic engagement and social cohesion

• Challenging instrumental/outcome-driven models

• Arts as spaces of recognition and shared agency

2. Pedagogy of Care, Ethics and Inclusion in Music and Arts Education

A pedagogy of care foregrounds ethics, relationality, and responsibility as central to educational practice. It frames teaching not only as a transmission of knowledge but as an attentive, responsive, and context-sensitive engagement with learners’ needs and experiences. This approach recognises social vulnerability as a relational condition, shaped by broader socio-cultural contexts, including disability, migration, ageing, and experiences of trauma. It calls for the rejection of deficit-based narratives, instead fostering environments grounded in emotional safety, trust, and agency. Care-informed pedagogies thus extend to assessment, innovation, and curriculum design, ensuring that inclusion is enacted meaningfully rather than rhetorically. 

• Care-informed teaching, assessment, and innovation

• Social vulnerability as relational condition

• Disability, migration, ageing, trauma

• Challenging deficit narratives

• Emotional safety, trust, and agency

3. Community, Participation, and Cultural Ecosystems

Music and arts education operate within wider cultural ecosystems, where learning occurs across formal, non-formal, and informal contexts. Community-based practices, cultural organisations, and public spaces become vital arenas for participatory engagement and co-creation. This strand highlights the importance of school-community partnerships, as well as intercultural collaboration, in fostering inclusive and dialogic learning environments. The arts play a crucial role in building resilience in times of crisis, supporting both individual well-being and collective solidarity. Within this framework, the notion of the cultural commons emerges as a key concept, linking artistic practice to questions of social sustainability and shared cultural resources.

• Non-formal and community-based learning

• Cultural organisations and public spaces

• Schools–community partnerships

• Intercultural collaboration

• Arts for resilience in times of crisis

• Cultural commons and social sustainability

4. Curriculum, Teacher Education, and Institutional Frameworks

The integration of care into education requires a rethinking of curricula, teacher education, and institutional structures. Care-informed curricula prioritise holistic development, relational learning, and ethical awareness, while teacher education programmes must support educators in developing reflective, inclusive, and contextually responsive practices. There is increasing emphasis on arts-based interdisciplinary innovation, alongside the need for assessment practices that capture relational and process-oriented dimensions of learning. Furthermore, cross-sectoral collaborations—linking education with culture, health, and social services—are essential for addressing complex societal challenges. Evaluating the social value of arts education thus becomes a critical task, requiring both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

• Care-informed curricula

• Teacher education & professional development

• Arts-based interdisciplinary innovation

• Assessment and reflective practice

• Cross-sectoral collaborations (education–culture–health)

• Evaluating social value

5. Methodologies for Engaged Research

Finally, the symposium foregrounds the importance of methodologies that are participatory, reflective, and ethically grounded. Arts-based research, participatory inquiry, and action research offer powerful means of engaging with lived experience and co-constructing knowledge with communities. Such approaches demand ongoing ethical reflexivity and awareness of positionality, particularly when working within contexts of vulnerability. There is a growing need to develop methods that can meaningfully assess well-being, relational impact, and social transformation while recognising the complexities of these constructs. Researchers are thus called to embrace a sense of responsibility and care, ensuring that their work contributes positively to the communities involved.

• Arts-based research

• Participatory & action research

• Ethical reflexivity & positionality

• Evaluating well-being & relational impact

• Research responsibility in vulnerable contexts

Please submit your proposal via the RIAM2026 FORM by 20 April 2026.

Hybrid Participation Available

The RIAM Symposium 2026 will be offered in a hybrid format, enabling participants to attend either in person or online. This flexible mode of participation aims to ensure inclusive access, international engagement, and broader dissemination of research and dialogue.