Patel, Amit Dinesh ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6328-240X and Knight-Hill, Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1521-0396 (2024) Invited Presentation: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Experimental Sound (AHRC All-Staff Meeting). In: AHRC ALL STAFF MEETING, 11th September 2024, Online.

PDF (Conference presentation) 53568 PATEL_Cultural_Diversity_(Presentation)_2026.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (2MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

In September 2024, we were invited to present at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) all-staff meeting on the Exploring Cultural Diversity in Experimental Sound research project. The session was chaired by the AHRC Director, Christopher Smith, and attended by approximately 90 staff members, including directors and investment managers responsible for developing future funding schemes and strategic activities. The invitation reflected the significance of the project and its relevance to wider policy and research agendas.

The event featured two presentations. Our contribution, delivered by the Sound/Image Research Centre, focused on Exploring Cultural Diversity in Experimental Sound and demonstrated how practice-based research can inform policy priorities around diversity, inclusion, and research culture. A second presentation was delivered independently by colleagues from the University of Cambridge on the Contemporary Urban Music for Inclusion Network (CUMIN). While both presentations addressed themes of culture and engagement, they represented distinct projects and research agendas.

Our presentation examined cultural and ethnic diversity within experimental sound practices, questioning institutional structures and raising awareness of underrepresented voices in electroacoustic music and sound arts. Findings highlighted how experimental music cultures can create exclusionary environments, and how Black and South Asian artists frequently encounter explicit and implicit racism within educational and cultural institutions. The research also emphasised the importance of supportive communities, non-hierarchical mentoring, and sustainable networks for participation and change.

The discussion demonstrated the wider value of research combining creative practice with social impact, offering tangible pathways for informing future policy and funding strategies across the arts and humanities sector.

Item Type:	Conference or Conference Paper (Keynote)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Experimental sound, Cultural diversity, Electroacoustic music, Practice-based research, Inclusion, Institutional racism, Social impact, Arts policy
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > Centre for Sound and Image Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences
Related URLs:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/53398/
Last Modified:	22 May 2026 10:13
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/53568

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads