The RMA Annual Conference provides an opportunity for all members to meet and participate in a wide range of events. The conference programme typically includes the Dent Medal lecture, the Le Huray lecture, and the Annual General Meeting.

The next Annual Conference will be held jointly with the Society for Musicology in Ireland and the European Association for Dance History, at SARC (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Sound and Music), Queen’s University Belfast, between Saturday 29 August and Tuesday 1 September 2026.

Run in partnership with the British Forum for Ethnomusicology, the Research Students’ Conference includes career development events in addition to paper, poster and lecture recital presentations, workshops and concerts. Each year, the programme includes skills training sessions, student papers, composition and performance workshops, concerts, and social events

Open to postgraduates studying in the UK or abroad, and attended also by scholars at all career stages, the conference provides an opportunity for research students to meet together in a friendly and supportive atmosphere, to gain experience of the conference environment (as listeners, participants, and chairs), to present and to hear papers, to take part in workshops, and to gain insights into the profession.

The next Research Student’s Conference will be hosted by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC, part of Birmingham City University), on 6th–8th January 2026.

The Association works in partnership with host universities and conservatoires across the country to deliver these events. We support each conference through the work of Council members and officers, with a grant, and through additional financial support for keynote speakers. If you are interested in hosting one of our flagship events, please get in touch for an informal discussion, we would love to hear from you. flagship@rma.ac.uk

These handbooks provide a range of information and guidance to support conference organising committees.

• BFE/RMA RSC Conference Handbook
• BFE/RMA RSC Conference financial template
• Annual Conference Handbook
• Annual Conference financial template

For recipients of RMA awards speaking at the RMA annual and research students conferences (namely, the Dent Medal, the Roche Prize, and the Le Huray Lecture) RMA will meet agreed travel costs up to the following geographically-based limits (last updated November 2024):

Accommodation costs for the above-mentioned speakers will be reimbursed by the RMA also. The RMA can offer the cost of bed and breakfast accommodation for up to three nights, up to £125 per night (£150 in London), and pay a per diem of £30 (maximum of 3 days) to cover meals. Costs of alcoholic beverages will not be reimbursed.

Study Days offer organisers an opportunity to develop administrative and fundraising skills, and to assume responsibility for a project. Study Days usually focus on a single topic or visit. They are sometimes collaborative events run by more than one institution and may include seminars, discussion groups and workshops.

If you have an idea for a Study Day, you should contact the Student Liaison Officer, Maureen Wolloshin (mwolloshin1@gmail.com) who will discuss your proposal and help you put together an application. Organisers should consult the guidelines on the RMA profile at student Study and Training Days. This is a separate process from RMA Conference Affiliation.

Where the RMA makes a financial contribution to a conference or study day, we require organisers to report back on the event before funds can be released. We ask you to complete a financial report for the Association’s Events Committee (download guidance and template) and to provide a narrative report for the website/Newsletter (see guidance for authors).