Call for Spoke Projects – AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research

• Opportunity Status: open 
• Funders: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), distributed by the University of Southampton and run through the Centre for Music Education and Social Justice (CMESJ) 
• Funding Type: Spoke Project Grant 
• Funding amount: 4x Spoke Project collaborations between academic and non-academic partners, at £75,000–£100,000 per Spoke 
• Publication date: 31 October 2024
• PHASE 1 - Expressions of Interest due: 15 January 2025
• PHASE 2 - Shortlisted applications due: 2 May 2025
• Spoke Project duration: up to 12 months between June 2025–June 2026
   

Background to the call

In 2023 the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) opened the call for a UK Higher Education (HE) institution to be the AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research. The Hub was awarded to Southampton’s Centre for Music Education and Social Justice, directed by Project Lead Erin Johnson-Williams.

As the AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research we will fund 4 ‘Spoke’ projects to run in 2025–2026, each of which will be a collaboration between an academic and non-academic partner.

As a National Hub, we are invested in reaching participants from all four countries of the UK and will be holding in-person networking events in Southampton, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast in November and December 2024. 
 

Aim of the Hub

The aim of the AHRC Hub Public Engagement with Music Research at the Centre for Music Education and Social Justice is to use social justice-informed approaches to increase the relevance, accessibility and usability of participatory music research in the UK. 

The funded Spoke Projects, involving collaborations between academic and non-academic partners, will be equitable examples of how music research can intersect with social justice, providing clear pathways to policy impact. 

 
What we’re looking for 

The Hub for Public Engagement with Research has resource to fund projects against the following 4 themes, informed by the priorities of the AHRC:

• Health and wellbeing 
• Civic and cohesive communities
• Creative education 
• Technological innovation 

We will support applications that align with at least one of these umbrella themes. 

Hub call documents

Timeline

• Call Publication date: 31 October 2024
• Online webinar: 7 November 2024 (register on Eventbrite)
• Hub Launch (Southampton): 7 November 2024 (register on Eventbrite)
• Cardiff Networking Event (BBC Hoddinott Hall): 18 November 2024 (register on Eventbrite)
• Online Networking Event: 3 December 2024 (register on Eventbrite)
• Glasgow Networking Event (Scottish Music Centre): 10 December 2024 (register on Eventbrite)
• Belfast Networking Event (The MAC Belfast): 11 December 2024 (register on Eventbrite)
• The University of Southampton’s Public Engagement with Research unit online training sessions: 25 November 2024; 28 November 2024; 17 December 2024; 18 December 2024; email CMESJ_MusicPEHub@soton.ac.uk for further information.
• 4x ‘drop in’ Q&A sessions – online: 10–11am on 13 December 2024; 20 December 2024; 7 January 2025; 10 January 2025; email CMESJ_MusicPEHub@soton.ac.uk to book a ‘drop in’ slot.
• PHASE 1 Expressions of Interest due: 15 January 2025
• PHASE 1 applications notified of outcome: mid-February 2025
• PHASE 2 Mentoring Process: February 2025–April 2025
• PHASE 2 Shortlisted applications due: 2 May 2025
• PHASE 2 applicants notified: mid/late May 2025
• Spoke Project duration: up to 12 months; June 2025–June 2026
• Policy Associate Research Period: October–December 2025 (flexible)
• Policy Workshops: January–March 2026 (flexible)
• Complete Spoke and Hub Evaluation Reports: April–June 2026
• Final Showcase in Cardiff: June/July 2026