RMA Sound on Screen Annual Conference 2025

Conference Programme

Conference Fees and registration

We are committed to conferences being affordable and accessible, so fees are set as low as possible:

• Online fee: £5

• In-Person fee (includes online attendance on days 1 and 2): £20

Register to attend here.

Conference Committee

Dr. Jan Butler (Senior Lecturer in Popular Music, Oxford Brookes University)

Dr. James Cateridge (Senior Lecturer in Film, Oxford Brookes University)

Dr. Matt Lawson (Senior Lecturer in Music, Oxford Brookes University)

Dr. Lindsay Steenberg (Reader in Film Studies, Oxford Brookes University)

Call for Papers

The Sound on Screen research network at Oxford Brookes University are delighted to announce the call for papers for Sound on Screen IV, a three-day conference dedicated to exploring the intersection of sound, music, and screen media. We invite scholars and practitioners to submit abstracts for 15 to 20-minute individual papers, position papers, or complete three-paper panels that delve into any aspect of sound, sound design, or music for screen, emphasising innovative perspectives and methodologies.

While we pride ourselves on our broad, inclusive programme of papers, this year we are particularly interested in contributions that address understudied areas such as virtual reality, video games, interactive films in public locations or tourist attractions, and non-mainstream film and television. This is an opportunity to expand current methodologies and challenge traditional approaches to the study of sound and music in screen media.

Our call is open to scholars at all stages of their careers, from emerging postgraduate researchers or composers, to established academics and practitioners. We aim to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for dialogue and collaboration among participants.

The conference will be fully online on Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th June for individual papers, and in-person and hybrid on Thursday 26th June. For the final day, we invite three-paper panel proposals on any topic and position papers on the broader discipline and direction of screen music and sound studies. Individual papers are warmly invited for the opening two days only.

To submit a proposal, please provide an abstract of 250-300 words along with a brief bio of 100 words by the submission deadline of 24 January 2025. Proposals should clearly outline your paper's focus and methodology. All submissions should be sent to soundonscreen2025@outlook.com. Decisions will be sent out by the end of February 2025.

Venue and travel information

The first two days of the conference, Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 June 2025, will be online only.

The final day of the conference, Thursday 26 June 2025, will be run as a hybrid event and in person at Oxford Brookes University.

All sessions on 26 June will take place in the Headington Hill Hall and Gipsy Lane sites within Oxford Brookes University's Headington campus. This is a different area from Oxford city centre, roughly 30-40 minutes on foot and on the top of a hill called Headington Hill; it is a very pleasant walk, but be prepared! 

Getting Here

If you are coming by car: Please note that there is very limited and expensive parking on site. The best option is to park at Thornhill Park and Ride, directly off the A40. Parking is only £2 for up to 16 hours, and there is a very convenient bus (400) that will take you to Brookes in about 10 minutes. The other Park and Ride sites (Redbridge and Seacourt) are further away and do not have a direct transportation link; also, avoid parking at the John Radcliffe Hospital as parking is expensive and limited. Finally, avoid Botley Road and the whole area around the station as there are roadworks affecting traffic and mobility.

If you are coming by train: Oxford has direct train links to major cities such as London and Birmingham, and access to many others (Reading, Bristol, Cardiff, etc.) via Didcot Parkway. Please note, however, that at the moment there are major engineering works between Didcot and Oxford to repair the Nuneham Viaduct: customers have to travel via replacement bus from Didcot, and this adds approximately 25 minutes to the journey time. Works should be done by the date of the conference, but please check before travelling. From the station, take any bus going up to Headington or Thornhill (280, 400, U1) and get off at Brookes. Alternatively, you can also walk 10 minutes to the Westgate centre and get bus number 8. If you are travelling via Oxford Parkway station, the best way is to travel to Headington bypassing the city centre, which you can do by taking the bus number 700 and getting off at Headington School, 5 minutes away from Brookes.

If you are coming by bus or coach: some buses (most notably the Oxford Tube, which connects Oxford and London via Victoria, Notting Hill, Shepherd's Bush, Hillingdon and Lewknor 24/7) will drop you directly at Brookes, but the majority of long-distance coaches will take you to Gloucester Green bus station. From there, you can walk 5 minutes to the Westgate centre and take buses 8, 280 or 400 to Brookes.

accommodation and eating out

Staying in Oxford

Accommodation in Oxford can be expensive. Headington, the Oxford suburb where our campus is located, has numerous independent guest houses that offer good value. The city centre is more expensive, but is well situated for the main tourist sites and restaurants. Other budget options include university accommodation (subject to availability), the Travelodge hotels at Peartree, Abingdon Road, and Wheatley, and the Premier Inn hotels in Cowley and Oxford Airport (Kidlington). These are all on major, frequent bus routes, and Oxford as a whole is well connected. If Oxford is proving too expensive, then it is possible to stay in surrounding towns such as Abingdon, Didcot, Bicester, and Banbury; all of which might offer more affordable options, and all of which connect to Oxford by bus and/or train.

Eating Out in Oxford

Oxford is generally not a cheap city to eat out, but it offers an incredible variety of traditional, ethnic and modern eateries. Check out Cowley Road, stretching south-west from the city centre and walking distance from campus, for excellent cuisines from around the world, or try one of the historical pubs in the city centre. If you want something more modern and relaxed, the area around Magdalen Street, Cornmarket Street and the Westgate has lost of chain eateries.