Call For Papers: Higher Education Conference

When MusicHE was disbanded in October 2024, Music Mark took on responsibility for Higher Education members as a Subject Association for all stages of music education across the UK. One of our primary ambitions is to connect universities and conservatoires to the prior stages of music education through reinforcing the infrastructure necessary to improve progression routes into HE.

Higher Education Conference
Laying the Pipeline: Past, Current and Future Progression Routes to Higher Education
Wednesday 6^th May 2026
School of Music, Cardiff University

This first Higher Education Annual Conference within Music Mark will provide an opportunity for colleagues to discuss the role of higher education as a vital part of the wider music education ecology. It will offer a space to champion outreach and engagement across the sector and explore potential fixes to the leaks in the pipeline, bringing in the voices of member bodies and partners from across the wider Music Mark membership. The conference will act as a space for colleagues to share best practice and openly discuss the challenges faced by the sector whilst offering proactive and actionable solutions.

Call for Papers

We are looking for paper submissions to include in the Higher Education Conference next May. Themes may include but are not limited to: outreach and engagement, student recruitment (home and international), graduate outcomes, the skills agenda, employability, devolved curricula and entry requirements.

We invite abstract proposals for the following:

• Workshops (30 minutes)
• Papers (20 minutes & 10 minutes Q&A)
• Themed sessions (up to 4 speakers, with Chair, for 60- or 90-minute sessions)

Please submit your abstract of no more than 250 words by 23.59pm on Friday 30^th January 2026.  

Programme Committee
Daniel Bickerton (Cardiff University)
Kerry Bunkhall (Music Mark)
Cameron Gardner (Cardiff University)
Roddy Hawkins (University of Manchester)
Erin Johnson-Williams (University of Southampton)
Nicholas Jones (Cardiff University)
Sarah Whitfield (Royal College of Music)