This scientific/scholarly and artistic conference explores the relationship between Acoustic Ecology and Soundscape Studies in the context of democracy, social cohesion, and participation. Drawing on Peter Sloterdijk’s notion of the “social bond of audiophony,” the conference asks to what extent the analysis of soundscapes, the debates about their health and desirability, and the creative practices emerging from them can help strengthen democratic processes and participatory cultures in present and future societies. It further examines in what ways listening and sound-making practices might foster social cohesion without rendering individual voices inaudible, and which existing or conceivable educational approaches can support individuals and groups in developing a sensitive and reflective engagement with sonic environments and listening practices more broadly.

Beyond this, the conference critically interrogates and moves beyond established anthropocentric perspectives within these fields. Particular attention is given to the fact that, in an era shaped by machine learning, agentic coding, and AI applications, these relationships no longer exist solely between humans (or organic beings), but increasingly also between humans and systems, as well as between systems themselves.

Against this background, the conference seeks to discuss whether and to what extent post-humanist approaches might influence, challenge, and transform Acoustic Ecology’s long-standing aim of improving sonic environments and its utopian aspiration to restore social cohesion—not only by cultivating attentive listeners but also by enabling diverse voices to be heard.

Important elements of the conference include scholarly/scientific and artistic lectures, papers, posters and presentations, workshops, concerts, performances, installations, discussion panels, and joint listening sessions, the latter preferably while engaging in physical movement (walking, hiking, dancing…).

Submission Guidelines

The conference welcomes scholarly/scientific or artistic full papers (8 pages maximum) and posters (3 pages maximum). Please, submit an abstract (details see below) through Easy Chair (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=tgc2026) latest until 1 April 2026, 23:59 CEST. There are also categories for submitting abstracts for panel discussions, workshops and artistic works. Please indicate in your abstract submission whether you want to be part of the “Next Generation Researchers and Artists” program (if under 35 years old). 

Notification will take place on ca. 15 May 2026. The camera-ready deadline for full papers or posters is 1 July 2026.

Our selection process is based on the principle of double-blind peer review. We therefore kindly ask you to ensure that your submission does not contain your name, your affiliation or any other identifying references. We regret that submissions that do not meet this requirement cannot be considered.

All papers and posters must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The conference is interested in papers, posters, workshops and panel discussions related, but not restricted, to the following topics:  

• the sonic environment’s and/or acoustic ecology’s social/cultural/political dimensions    
• the sonic environment and its relationship to democracy and/or social cohesion and/or participation    
• sonic environments and machine learning/AI/agentic coding
• artistic works with soundscapes related to machine learning/AI/agentic coding
• acoustic ecology and post human perspectives    
• acoustic ecology and media aesthetic education/facilitation    
• acoustic ecology and audience development    
• cultivating auditory attentiveness    
• the philosophical dimension of listening    
• soundscapes and diversity    
• acoustic ecology’s values in change    
• acoustic ecology and its relationship to emerging technologies    
• soundscape studies/acoustic ecology and artistic research    
• writing about sonic environments as an expression of listening culture    
• sonic environments and aspects of physical and mental health    
• sonic environments and life sciences    
• soundscape-related practices in architecture, sound design, urban and landscape planning    
• aesthetic and/or social utopias of designed acoustic environments      
• studio/lab reports about artistic works with soundscapes    
• studio/lab reports about listening and media aesthetic education

Please, submit your abstracts for papers (or posters) via easy chair latest until 1 April 2026, 23:59 CEST.

For scholarly/scientific papers, panel discussions, workshops:

Please provide:

• title and subtitle
• abstract max. 300 words 

For poster presentations:

Please provide:

• title and subtitle
• abstract max. 200 words 

For artistic submissions:

Please provide:

• title and subtitle
• abstract max. 300 words including: genre of the artwork
• year of creation/finalization
• Upload the technical and spatial requirements and specifications using the designated upload field. 

Please, be aware that Darmstadt UAS has a limited amount of equipment, so that you are expected to bring most, if not all of your necessary and specialized equipment by your own in case you’ll be selected. The conference attaches great significance to face-to-face encounters on site. However, the organisers are endeavouring to provide some online slots for paper and poster presentations and, where applicable, for fixed-media presentations for artists.

List of Topics

• Acoustic Ecology
• Soundscape Studies
• Sound Studies
• Art/Sound and sustainability
• Aesthetic education
• Aesthetics of care
• Art and AI
• Art and coding
• Sound and social behaviour
• Auditory culture

Committees

Program Committee

• Prof. Dr. Judith Bihr
• Prof. Sabine Breitsameter
• Prof. Dr. Christian Fischer
• Hazem Obid
• Klaus Schüller, LfbA
• Robin Wiemann
• cont.

Organizing committee

• Hazem Obid
• Rida Fatima Solangi
• Hui Wang
• N.N.
• N.N.

Venue

The conference will be held on the Media Campus of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Max-Planck-Str. 2, 64807 Dieburg, Germany. 

Contact

Questions about submissions should be emailed to Klaus Schüller, LfbA: klaus.schueller@h-da.de.