Learning from practice: Approaches to research collaboration and co-production in Liverpool city region The Interdisciplinary Research Group for Liverpool City Region warmly invites you to the groups July meeting. Date: Monday 6 July 2026 Time: 10am 1pm followed by networking lunch until 2pm Venue: School of the Arts Library, 19 Abercromby Square L69 3BX & Hybrid via Teams This event will share experiences of research collaboration and co-production amongst public, third sector and academic partners across a range of disciplines in Liverpool city region, and emerging principles and frameworks to guide and inspire future collaborative practice. Speakers will include: Prof Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health, Liverpool City Council [https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-matthew-ashton-ffph-frsph-frcp-24045b242/?originalSubdomain=uk]will discuss evolving public health priorities for Liverpool city region, how sustained academic/public sector collaboration has contributed to significant improvements in public health, and All Together Fairer, Cheshire and Merseysides collaborative approach to improving health equity and the social determinants of health, informed by the landmark (2010) Marmot Review, Fair Society, Healthy Lives. Dr Pete Bridge, Senior Lecturer in Radiotherapy and Oncology, University of Liverpool [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/pete-bridge] and Andy Cooper, Creative Director at Draw and Code Limited [https://drawandcode.com/the-team/andy-cooper/] will discuss their recent collaboration on an Office for Students funded project, which saw them work closely to develop, evaluate and subsequently commercialise a unique interactive tropical VR environment for supporting mental wellbeing and mindfulness training. Stuart Barnes, Assistant Director (Place) Economic Growth and Housing, Sefton Council [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-barnes-78078b26/]will share Sefton Councils priorities and challenges, including its ambitious culture-led regeneration programmes Southport 2026 and Bootles bid for Town of Culture 2028, drawing on its award-winning Salt and Tar cultural programme, and outline key opportunities and challenges for academics considering engaging with local authorities such as Sefton. Brian Dawe, CEO, Safe Regeneration [https://saferegen.org.uk/safe-staff/]will discuss his experiences of academic collaboration and co-production as third sector leader of multiple award-winning social enterprises including Safe Regeneration charity, The Lock and Quay Community Pub and Gardens, and ethical development company 123 CIC, and outline key opportunities and challenges for academic/third sector collaborations. Dr Kerry Traynor, Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/kerry-traynor]will share her experiences of research collaboration and co-production with grassroots third sector organisations including development of interactive online tools, practical guidance and training programmes for voluntary sector professionals, and a practice-informed framework for academic collaboration with third sector organisations. David Oates, Strategy and Development Manager, Merseyside Waste Authority [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-oates-1b21b07/]will provide an overview of recent policy developments in waste management alongside current research initiatives and opportunities for collaboration with communities and academic partners, highlighting how policy, research and local engagement can work together to support more sustainable resource and waste management practices in the region. Dr Hanmei Chen, Liverpool School of Architecture, University of Liverpool [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/han-mei-chen]will discuss her practice in developing and sustaining universitypublic partnerships through sustainability campaigns through her collaboration with Merseyside Waste Authority and others. Open to University of Liverpool staff and students and members of the public. For those wishing to join online, a Teams link will be sent to registered participants prior to the event.

Lecture Theatre 1, Gordon Stephenson Building Programme will be attached to confirmation email This symposium invites to share and discuss the breadth of current scholarship on popular music and contemporary violent conflict. The 21st century has witnessed numerous violent conflicts across different parts of the world. This includes active armed conflicts and growing tensions in regions where conflicts have previously taken place. These conflicts and tensions have emerged in a context of changing geopolitical alliances, shifts along the democracy-autocracy continuum, the development of new media technologies, and the expanded role of information warfare. They call for in-depth conversation and debate about the place and role of popular music in contemporary conflicts. The keynote focuses on Ukrainian music industry in times of war. The four sessions will include three 20-minute presentations followed by 20 minutes of Q&A. The symposium is organised by Dr Anna Glew, as part of her Leverhulme Early Career fellowship, and by the Institute of Popular Music at the University of Liverpool. If you require more information, please email the organisers: Dr Anna [email protected] Dr Mathew [email protected] Institute of Popular Music Founded in 1988 as the worlds first specialist centre for the study of popular music, the Institute of Popular Music (IPM) provides a hub for interdisciplinary research on popular music, broadly defined. We examine popular music from different perspectives and explore the many varied contexts and processes involved in its production and consumption. Follow us on LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/company/institute-of-popular-music] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/InstitutePopularMusic].

Embodied Research Methods in Music & Sound: practices, technologies, and spaces Music, Technology and Interaction (MTI) at the University of Liverpool, in partnership with the Royal Musical Association Practice Study Group, presents a study day exploring embodied research methods in music and soundbringing together artists, technologists and researchers to examine how knowledge is created through the body across creative, critical and technological practice. Timings: 19th May, 09:30 - 17:00 Location: Music Department, University of Liverpool, 80-82 Bedford Street South, L69 7WW For further information please visit https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/music/events/embodied-research-methods/ [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/music/events/embodied-research-methods/]

Workshop title: Practising Memory Studies 17 September 2026, 9:30 am - 4:15 pm School of the Arts Library, University of Liverpool This workshop will explore the methodological challenges of conducting research in the interdisciplinary and diverse field of Memory Studies. It will enable researchers and PGRs from a range of academic fields and specializations to come together to learn about and exchange experiences studying memory via a range of methods. These may involve the analysis of large-scale social practices, quantitative methods at the macro-level, or micro-processes of remembering at qualitative or even individual levels. The workshop will be structured around a series of themed conversations to cultivate discussions that address a range of methods and research areas, attending to broader theoretical concerns that resonate across both conceptual and practice-based arenas of memory studies. Workshop programme: 09:30 Welcome and Introduction 09.45 Conversation 1: Using Filmmaking in Memory Research: Alyssa Grossman and Jordana Blejmar 10.45 Break 11.00 Conversation 2: Memory in (and of) Space and Place: Anna Saunders and Les Roberts 12.00 Lunch 13.00 Conversation 3: Museum Collections: Richard Benjamin and Claire Taylor 14.00 Impact Session: Jacky Waldock (HSS Faculty Impact Fellow) 15.00 Break 15.15 Breakout Sessions 16.15 Close and end The event is funded by the engage@liverpool Methodological Innovation and Development Award Scheme (MIDAS), and isorganised by the Interdisciplinary Approaches to Memory (IAM) Network [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/languages-cultures-and-film/research/research-groups-and-networks/interdisciplinary-approaches-to-memory-network/], a new network that has grown out of the Departments of Communication & Media [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/communication-and-media/] and Languages, Cultures & Film [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/languages-cultures-and-film/]. It brings together scholars from a range of fields and across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences to discuss issues related to the study of social and cultural memory. The network serves as a platform for debates, workshops, research collaborations and other activities to promote the exchange of ideas, approaches and challenges relevant to memory studies across disciplinary boundaries. Queries can be sent to Alyssa Grossman ([email protected]) or Anna Saunders ([email protected]). Financial support for PGRs We are able to offer some small travel bursaries for PGRs attending from outside of Liverpool. If you would like to apply for support, please send the following details to Anna and Alyssa by Friday 19 June: Name, institution, how your research relates to the topic of the workshop and what you hope to gain from it (100 words maximum), cost of travel. All welcome.

Join us for the Microbiome Innovation Centre's third annual Microbiome Research Day - a stimulating day of talks, discussion and making connections for microbiome researchers and innovators across Liverpool City Region. For the first time, we are opening the event beyond the University of Liverpool to include researchers from Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine as well as microbiome innovators interested in connecting with Liverpool's thriving microbiome research community. All PhD students and postdoctoral researchers attending will be allocated a poster space which can either be used for a traditional research poster or simply as an opportunity to showcase research plans, ideas, skills and interests. If you would like the opportunity to speak at the event, please indicate this upon registration and send a brief abstract [email protected] no later than Friday 29th May. There will be prizes for the best talks and posters! Registration closes Monday 15th June 09:00 - 09: 45 Registration and Coffee 09:45 - 10: 15 Welcome, overview of day and introduction to the Microbiome Innovation Centre Prof. Jo Fothergill, University of Liverpool 10:15 - 10:30 Microbiome Research at LJMU Dr Komang Ralebitso Senior, Liverpool John Moores University 10:30 - 10:45 Microbiome Research at LSTM Speaker TBC, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 10:45 - 11:00 The UK Plant Microbiome Network Speaker TBC 11:00 - 11:30 Coffee and Networking 11:30 -12:30 Research Talks 12:30 - 1:30 Lunch and Poster Session 1:30 - 2:30 Research Talks 2:30 - 3:00 Career Talks 3:00 - 3:20 Group Discussion: advancing the LCR microbiome innovation community 3:20 - 3:30 Feedback, Prizes and Next Steps

The Fifth Popular Music Theory and Analysis Summer School 17th 19th July 2026, University of Liverpool, IPM-IPM-SMA The Institutes of Popular Music of both Rochester [https://www.rochester.edu/popmusic/] and Liverpool [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/music/], together with the Society for Music Analysis [https://www.sma.ac.uk/?doing wp cron=1630055066.8486840724945068359375], are pleased to announce their fifth Summer School dedicated to popular music theory and analysis. Set in the vibrant city of Liverpool, UK, the course will be held on Friday 17th Sunday 19th July 2026. The teaching of the course features intensive workshops with leading experts in the field: Michael Buchler [https://music.fsu.edu/person/michael-buchler/] (Florida State University), Jocelyn Neal [https://music.unc.edu/people/musicfaculty/jocelyn-neal/] (UNC at Chapel Hill) and Justin Williams [https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Justin-Williams-61dd4bd4-d5ea-4bd6-9181-c71670d811f0/] (Bristol). Plenary speakers will include: Ben Baker [https://www.esm.rochester.edu/directory/baker-ben/] (Eastman), Chelsea Burns [https://music.utexas.edu/about/people/chelsea-burns] (University of Texas), Ralf von Appen [https://www.mdw.ac.at/stdw/?PageId=36] (Vienna), and University of Liverpool Staff. During the course, we will share and explore some of the latest research in popular music theory, making the course ideal for graduate students or early career researchers.