You are cordially invited to attend the 43rd ICTM World Conference which will be held between 16 and 22 July 2015 at the Kazakh National University of Arts in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The ICTM World Conference is the leading international venue for the presentation of new research on music and dance. Many new initiatives emerge at World Conferences and, perhaps even more crucially, discussion at these meetings helps us shape our ongoing work. A successful World Conference—like that in Shanghai, China, in July of 2013—is a truly stimulating place to be, and a wonderful place to meet and share ideas with colleagues from all over the world.

Kazakhstan has become a well-integrated and successful affiliate of the European community, as reflected by the fact that Kazakhstan is the only Central-Asian state within the European Higher Education Area, and the first country to chair the Summit of the OSCE in 2010. The capital city, Astana, is a rapidly evolving administrative centre, annually hosting several politically and economically motivated global events. This is a perfect opportunity for the addition of a cultural influence such as that of ICTM.

• Jump to: Final Programme, Programme Committee, Local Arrangements Committee, Conference Themes, Abstracts, Submissions, Timeline, Local Arrangements Information, Registration. 

Please watch the following video, which was produced by the hosting institution and was premiered at the Closing Ceremony of the 42nd ICTM World Conference in Shanghai.

Final Programme

The Final Programme is now available at www.ictmusic.org/ictm2015/programme. The Final Programme will be continuously updated in the weeks to come, but the latest version will always be available at the aforementioned link.

Programme Committee

Contact information

Local Arrangements Committee

Contact Information

Conference Themes

1. Music and New Political Geographies in the Turkic-speaking World and Beyond

A conference held in Kazakhstan, a nation-state formed in 1991, provides a perfect opportunity to consider the role of music and dance in the formation, in our time, of new political and cultural geographies. Such new geographies may include new nation-states in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union; new alliances along transnational ethnic lines, as in the cases of the Turkic-speaking area of the world’s twenty-eight countries, republics and districts, or the formation of the European Union; the challenge to national identity posed by globalization; and the rise of new subnational, regional sensibilities as a response to nationalism, transnationalism, and globalization. This topic is particularly relevant to the location of the meeting, but also inspires new submissions for other regions of the world affected by “new political geographies.” How have these new and emerging political and cultural alliances at the junction of a decision to merge or to choose independence used music to further their geopolitical goals and how have musicians and their audiences resisted new forms of economic and political domination and hegemony through music-making and dancing?

2. The Creators of Music and Dance

In a field of study that tends to focus on the music and dance of groups of people, what is the status of studies of individual creators of music, dance, artistic institutions, and scholarship? These creators may be musicians, singers, dancers, composers, choreographers, instrument-makers, social activists, government officials, or scholars. How do we understand the role of these individual creators in particular societies? How do we define creativity in terms of contributions to aesthetic forms? What cultural and social power do we attribute to individual creators? What cultural and social restraints do individual creators work under in particular communities?

3. Music, Dance, the Body, and Society

Music and dance performance in many societies are events that bring some people together while excluding other people. How do these processes of inclusion and exclusion work at the intersection of the body and society? How is the body politic formed by musicking and dancing bodies? How does society use music and dance performances to heal ailing bodies and reintegrate them into society? How do people use their able or (dis)abled bodies to counter social exclusion through music and dance performance? How is the gendered body interpreted and made in music and dance performance? How do minorities, immigrants, and displaced people use their musical and dancing bodies to deal with the power of the mainstream to define their social status?

4. Sound Environments: From Natural and Urban Spaces to Personal Listening

In the last decade there have been a number of calls for ethnomusicologists to broaden their studies from music to the more general area of sound. Questions are being asked about the relationship between the sounds of war and industrialization and the sound of music. Other questions concern the change of natural and musical sounds in environments altered by climate change. How is ethnomusicology responding to developments in the field of sound studies? How might ethnomusicological methods and perspectives contribute to sound studies? How do individuals and communities respond to their sound environments through personal listening choices, the building of new performance venues, the creation of new songs, performance styles, and genres, and the use of new electronic media and listening devices?

5. Visual Representation of Music Cultures

From Persian miniatures to YouTube and Vine, music and dance have nearly always and nearly everywhere been the subject of visual representation. Such representations have presented music historians with many problems under the rubric of musical iconography. What methodological and theoretical issues are still prominent in this long-established area of study? On the other hand, how do new electronic visual media affect the transmission of musical and dance knowledge? How do they affect the social life of music and dance in particular societies? How are these new media altering our research methods? How can the visual images in these new media be adequately archived and preserved? How do these new media, and the opportunities they provide for self-expression, alter the balance of representation between researchers and research subjects? What is the relationship between representations of, and the flow of knowledge about, “traditional” and popular musics in these new media?

6. New Research

Proposals on new research on other relevant topics are also welcome.

Abstracts

Abstracts should be no less than 280 and no more than 300 words in length, and written in English (papers may be presented in either English or Russian, but all abstracts must be in English). 

Abstracts should include a clear statement of the problem, a coherent argument, evidence of the author's knowledge of previous research, and a statement of the implications for ethnomusicology, ethnochoreology, or other disciplines. Because abstract review is anonymous, do not include your name or the names of other panellists in the body of the abstract.

Following evaluation by the Programme Committee, authors will be notified in December 2014.

1. Individual paper

Individual papers should be 20 minutes long, followed by 10 minutes of discussion. The proposal must include a 300-word (maximum) abstract.

2. Panel

Organized panels are 90 minutes (three papers, each 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of discussion) or 120 minutes long (four papers, or three papers and a discussant). A proposal by the panel organizer (300 words) as well as one by each individual presenter (300 words each) are required. Where an independently submitted abstract appears to fit a panel, the programme committee may suggest the addition of a panelist. The programme committee may also recommend acceptance of only some of the papers on a panel.

3. Film/Video session

Recently completed films introduced by their author and discussed by conference participants may be proposed. Submit a 300-word abstract including titles, subjects, and formats, and indicate the duration of the proposed films/videos and introduction/discussion.

4. Forum/Roundtable

Forum/Roundtable sessions provide opportunities for participants to discuss a subject with each other and with members of the audience. Sessions of up to two hours long should include at least four but no more than five presenters. We encourage formats that stimulate discussion and audience participation. The forum/roundtable organizer will solicit position papers of up to 15 minutes from each presenter and will facilitate questions and discussion for the remaining time. The proposal should be submitted by the forum/roundtable organizer (300 words).

5. Workshops

Presentational aspects of music and dance are better suited to the workshop format. The submitted proposal should include a 300-word abstract stating the intended duration of the workshop (max. 90 minutes).

Submissions

Timeline

• First call for proposals: October 2013 (available in the Bulletin of the ICTM #123, October 2013)
• Second call for proposals: April 2014
• Deadline for submission of proposals: 15 October 2014 (submisions are now closed)
• Notification of acceptances: December 2014
• Publication of preliminary conference programme: April 2015

Local Arrangements Information

Astana is a large political, administrative, business, and cultural centre of the Republic of Kazakhstan. All central authorities of the country, diplomatic missions, headquarters of domestic and foreign companies, leading universities, state-of-the-art medical clinics, and significant cultural institutions are located here.

Basic information

Kazakhstan is transcontinental country located in Central Asia and Europe. Astana lies to the North of Central Kazakhstan.

The territory of Kazakhstan is 2,727.300 square kilometres, making it ninth largest country in the world and the world's largest landlocked country, bordering with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

The population of the country is 16.6 million (2011), and of Astana is 708,794 (2010).

Kazakh is the official language of Kazakhstan, but in state institutions and local administration bodies Russian is used equally with Kazakh. Kazakhstan’s voltage system is 220 volts. European two-pin sockets are used.

The international calling country code of Kazakhstan is +7.

Currency

The currency of Kazakhstan is the Tenge (KZT). Major international credit cards are accepted in most hotels, malls, and restaurants. There is a good network of ATMs throughout the city. Banks are open on weekdays from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Money can be exchanged in any bank at the rates stated on the information table. No commission is applied. ID is obligatory. It is advisable to retain all exchange receipts. If you bring money in cash, it should rather be in USD or Euro.

As of March 2015, the following currency exchange rates were current:

• 1 USD: 185.95 KZT
• 1 EUR: 203.88 KZT
• 1 GBP: 278.35 KZT
• 1 RUB: 3.16 KZT

Getting there

Arriving in Kazakhstan by air is easy. There are many international direct flights every day from London, Frankfurt, Vienna, Istanbul, Moscow, Kiev, Minsk, Beijing, Seoul, and Urumqi. Please note that by flying with regional and local airlines (Air Astana, Aeroflot, Belavia, Transaero, or Ukraine Airlines) you might significantly reduce your travelling expenses.

You will land on an elegant but striking masterpiece by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, the Astana International airport, located 15 kilometres away from the city.

You will be greeted with the sign of ICTM upon arrival to the airport.

Visas

Citizens of many countries can enter Kazakhstan without a visa, and visas upon arrival are also available.

The Republic of Kazakhstan operates embassies, permanent missions, diplomatic missions, and consulates is many countries. Please see this page for more information. For a full list of diplomatic delegations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including postal, e-mail and Internet addresses, please see this page.

Visa information to enter Kazakhstan for ICTM 43rd World Conference.

Where to stay

The Local Arrangements Committee of the World Conference has arranged special rates for a wide spectrum of accommodation options, from basic student hostels to 5-star hotels.

The Ibis Hotel (3*) is the accommodation nearest to the conference venue (1.7 km), located on the crossroads of Tauelsyzdyk avenue and B. Momyshuly street. The hotel has 249 rooms, each equipped with air conditioning, safe, shower, hairdryer, work desk, WIFI and LCD TV. Breafkast is available from 4 AM to noon, at 2500 KZT per person (buffet) or 1250 KZT per person (early bird 4 AM to 6:30 AM only, or late riser from 10 AM to noon only). Conference participants get a special early check-in for free (9 AM) and late check-out (6 PM). Rates are per room per night for single or double occupancy, and include VAT (12%). In case of groups booking more than 10 rooms special rates can be offered upon request.

To make your reservation please email: H8474-RE@accor.com or visit www.ibis.com/8474.

The Kazzhol Hotel (4*) is the accommodation nearest to the conference venue (2 km). It has 30 single rooms and 30 double rooms, and offers special prices and benefits for all conference delegates, including free early arrival from 9:00 AM, free late checkout until 6:00 PM, buffet breakfast, access to the spa (jacuzzi, Russian and Finnish sauna, gym), WIFi internet, and VAT.

To make your reservation, please email: reservationastana@hotelkazzhol.kz and astana@hotelkazzhol.kz, or visit the www.kazzholhotels.com.

The Tengri Hotel (3*) is located a bit farther away from the conference venue (3.5 km). It offers 128 rooms which allow the accommodatation of more than 200 conference delegates at the same time. All rooms include satellite television, safe, minibar, electronic door locks, and free WI-FI. 

To make a reservation please use the attached form.

The Korsar Hotel (3*) is located close to the conference venue (2 km). It has 25 rooms available at reduced prices for ICTM delegates, including breakfast, free WiFi, and minibar.

To make your reservation, please see the attached document.

The Daniyar Hotel (3*) is located approximately 3 km from the conference venue. All rooms include buffet breakfast, satellite television, WiFI, free parking, a 1.5 litre bottle of mineral water per person per day, an electric kettle in every room, and laundry services 3 times a week. 

To make a reservation please use the attached form.

The Torgay Hotel (3*) is located approximately 4 km away from the conference venue. It has rooms available at reduced prices for ICTM delegates, including breakfast.

To make your reservation, please see the attached document.

The King Hotel Astana (4*) is located approximately 7 km away from the conference venue. Room rates include buffet breakfast, Internet access, and VAT, and early check-in (10:30 AM) and late checkout (4 PM) are also included.

To make a reservation please use the attached form.

• Accommodation in a student hostel (double bedroom) will cost 5,100 KZT per person per night. The name of the student hostel is Aygerim, and its address is Mirzoyan Street 29/1, Astana.
• The Capital (3*) has 104 beds at the special rate of 6,000 KZT per person per night (*)
• The Oasis (4*) has 80 beds at the special rate of 23,800 KZT per person per night (*)
• Finally, the Rixos President (5*) and the Radisson (5*) will provide 30% and 25% discount, respectively, for groups arriving for the Conference.

(*): Prices based on double, triple, or quadruple occupancy.

Specially-appointed buses will take participants from the following hotels to the Conference venue, at regular intervals: King Hotel, Tengri, Kazzhol, Oasis, Torgay, Korsar, Daniyar, and the student hostel.

Please note that all the figures in euro (EUR) quoted above are only approximate, as foreign exchange rates are in constant fluctuation.

Stay connected

Telephone calls

You can place local, regional, and international calls from within Kazakhstan.

You can purchase a local SIM card for your mobile phone at the 2nd floor of the airport and in big shopping malls. All telephone companies operate on a prepaid system. Once your credit runs out, it can be easily recharged at terminals throughout the city (every small shop has one!).

Internet

Most hotels and shopping malls in Astana provide free wireless Internet.