Held online on 5 March 2024.

Chair: Lee Tong Soon, ICTMD Secretary General.

In attendance (Study Group representatives): Audiovisual Ethnomusicology (Marija Dumnić Vilotijević); Indigenous Music and Dance (Shuo Niki Yang); Mediterranean Music Studies (Vanessa Paloma Elbaz); Music and Dance in Latin America and the Caribbean-LATCAR (Javier Silvestrini); Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe (Mehmet Öcal Özbilgin); Music and Dance in the Turkic World (Abdullah Akat); Music and Dance of the Slavic World (Ulrich Morgenstern); Music and Minorities (Svanibor Pettan); Music, Education and Social Inclusion (James Nissen); Musical Instruments (Gisa Jähnichen); Performing Arts of Southeast Asia-PASEA (Christine May Yong, Made Mantle Hood); Sacred and Spiritual Sounds and Practices (Irene Markoff); Sound, Movement, and the Sciences-SOMOS (Lara Pearson); Sources and Archives for Music and Sound Studies-MUSA (Gerda Lechleitner, Susana Sardo). Also attending: Pettan also attending in his capacity as Chair of the Executive Board Committee for Study Groups.

The meeting followed the attached agenda. 

1. Opening of meeting and introduction of the agenda

1. Lee Tong Soon opened the meeting at 14:00 (UTC), welcoming all Study Group authorities. 

2. Study Group Elections

2. Lee introduced the way by which the Secretariat can assist Study Groups in running their elections, outlining the following steps:

• The Study Group solicits proposals for nominations for candidates for every position up for election (e.g., Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary). At least 2 and no more than 3 candidates are preferred for each position. This stage usually lasts a month.

• The Study Group sends the Secretariat a list with all Study Group members (full names and emails) in Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers format.

• The Study Group sends the Secretariat the candidates running in the election, including full names, profile pictures, bios, and platform statements (i.e., what they will do if elected)

• The Secretariat checks that members and candidates are eligible to vote/run, by cross-referencing them with the database of ICTMD members in good standing. 

• The Secretariat returns the list with checked memberships to the Study Group, specifying those who are not members and therefore are not eligible to vote. Some time can be allotted afterwards for a renewal campaign to be conducted by the Study Group.

• The Secretariat conducts the electronic elections using the platform ElectionRunner. Eligible voters get a personalised email with a direct link to vote. The voting period usually lasts 2–4 weeks.

• The Secretariat sends the Study Group a webpage (hosted by ElectionRunner) with the election's results, so that they can be communicated with Study Group members at their own discretion. 

3. Procedure to apply for travel support to attend Study Group symposia

3. Lee explained how Study Groups can apply to the 2024 Study Group Allowance, which can fund participation in symposia. He detailed how the evaluation is handled by the EB Committee for the Maud Karpeles, Young Scholars, and Other Funds, and demonstrated the online application form and the application timeline.

4. Lee pointed out that the Secretariat asks the Programme Committee of the funded Study Group symposium to rank each received application from 1 to 5; this in turn helps the EB Committee for Maud Karpeles, Young Scholars, and Other Funds to make a better decision about funding. He added that a current membership is required to be eligible for application, and then invited Javier Silvestrini (LATCAR) to share his recent experience with applying to the Study Group Allowance. 

5. Silvestrini considered that communications regarding terms and conditions would need to be improved, as applicants may not have full clarity. He suggested to have the terms and conditions "written out," and pointed out that the double-blind evaluation process for the grant application could be time consuming, and suggested considering adjustments to the application timeline with assistance from the Secretariat. 

6. Lee replied that the Secretariat would work together with Study Groups on the application timeline.

7. Gerda Lechleitner (MUSA) suggested that the grant application should start earlier than in August, and enquired whether it would be acceptable for the Study Group's Chair, Co-Chair, and/or Secretary, in addition to regular members, to apply for funds. Silvestrini added that they had experienced a similar situation and therefore supported this proposal.

8. Lee clarified that all Study Group members, including Study Group authorities, were eligible to apply for the grants facilitated by the Study Group Allowance (as long as all other requirements would be met).

9. Irene Markoff (Sacred and Spiritual Sounds and Practices) enquired about the number of individuals typically funded for each successful application to the Study Group Allowance, and the contact person for inquiries about funding. Lee responded that the approximate number was between 7 and 10, and that the contact person was the Secretary General.

10. Lara Pearson (SOMOS) enquired about the rationale behind determining funding. Lee explained that rationale behind symposium-location-oriented-funding was essentially to stimulate research interest and encourage the development of new studies for that particular place.

11. Lee clarified that the current target funding amount per Study Group symposium was EUR 3000. In terms of allocation, he suggested that the EB Committee for the Maud Karpeles, Young Scholars, and Other Funds preferred supporting as many individuals as possible.

12. Vanessa Paloma Elbaz (Mediterranean Music Studies) enquired whether a symposium in Italy, for example, could be funded as a localtion not in the Global South, and what would happen if the funding for a particular year was retained.  Lee responded that Italy or any other country would not immediately be ruled out from funding, and that the EB Committee for the Maud Karpeles, Young Scholars, and Other Funds would assess all received applications, case by case. He added that if a Study Group did not apply for grants, the funds would be carried over for the following year as part of the total amount, as it was not specified which Study Group did not utilize them.

4. Any other concerns

13. Lee opened the floor for discussion of any topics which might interest the participants.
14. Svanibor Pettan (Music and Minorities) mentioned that there was interest in establishing two new Study Groups, one focused on theatre and another on voice. He invited expressions of interest from any colleagues who would be interested in joining the initiative. He suggested to discuss with Gisa Jähnichen about the possibility of relating this to the Study Group on Musical Instruments. 
15. Elbaz volunteered to join the initiative, and mentioned an ongoing discussion in the Cambridge circle on voice and literature.
16. Made Mantle Hood (PASEA) asked whether a new Study Group on theatre would carry regional identification or address theatre in a broader sense. Pettan replied that the idea was from a colleague in Kazakhstan who had noted that ICTMD did not have a Study Group in this area, and found it might attract people from all over the world who would be interested in other performing arts besides music and dance. Hood expressed that PASEA members would be interested in knowing more.
17. Susana Sardo (MUSA) expressed support for a new Study Group on voice, and asked whether it might be a bit broad to have a Study Group focusing on theatre within ICTMD, an institution dedicated to the study of music and dance rather than performing arts. Pettan replied that the proposals were still at a very basic level and discussions will continue.
18. Ulrich Morgenstern (Music and Dance of the Slavic World) pointed out that many foci of ICTMD Study Groups overlap, and suggested that with sufficient concerns from colleagues who were able to explain the overlapping and differences between theatre studies in ICTMD and other performing arts groups, it could be interesting to have such a perspective.
19. Mehmet Öcal Özbilgin (Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe) enquired whether ICTMD could provide funds for organising a symposium for a current ICTMD Study Group. Lee replied that the Study Group Allowance was currently destined to support the travel of individuals to attend a symposium, rather than for organising a symposium.
20. Özbilgin enquired about the Council's new logo, and asked for an estimation of time for receiving it. Lee replied that a special-purpose EB committee was taking care of producing new logos, and redirected this question to Sardo, who was part of this committee. Sardo reported that two proposals were being discussed, the that the date for receiving the resulting logo was not yet finalised.
21. Hood shared the experience of preparing their upcoming PASEA symposium in Iloilo, Philippines, in June 2024, adding he would like to share additional copies of proceedings published in the past 10-12 years (currently stored in Kuala Lumpur) with people or libraries that might be interested in them. He welcomed contacts and enquiries for getting a free copy. Pettan responded that he would be able take some copies and share with colleagues when going to Kuala Lumpur for a symposium this year. Sardo suggested sharing some copies at the upcoming World Conference in New Zealand. Lee also suggested placing the copies at the book exhibit area. 

8. Adjournment

22. The meeting was adjourned at 14:53 UTC.