Science Communication
In addition to its research activities, the MMRC offers expertise and consultancy in science communication and knowledge transfer. Furthermore, it serves as a networking platform, bringing together several groups and members from the field of music and minorities studies (and beyond) with the aim of establishing a network of cooperation partners. This network consists of researchers, musicians, NGOs, cultural organisations, educational institutions, and interested public.
In the field of science communication, the MMRC maintains a global network of researchers, supports networking between musicians from minority groups in Austria and abroad, and works with NGOs that focus on minority groups and the implementation of their creative practices.
We use various scientific and artistic practices to communicate the content:
- Production of documentary films that are accessible to a broader audience, especially locals.
- Use of other multimedia communication formats (e.g. digital exhibitions).
- Participation in key science communication activities such as the Wissenschaftsbotschafter*innen (Science Ambassadors) programme or the Lange Nacht der Forschung (Long Night of Research).
- Implementation of target group-specific measures that also address a broader audience beyond ethnomusicological minority research, such as MMRC lectures or communication activities for the digital exhibition „Ružake Gila“ in collaboration with non-academic partner organisations like Romano Centro and Voice of Diversity.
- Inclusion of programme items that appeal to a broader, non-academic audience: such as concert evenings, in larger events like the "MMRC 2026+" symposium.
The MMRC team members benefit from mdw’s training opportunities in the field of science communication and actively participate in university-wide initiatives in this area. The exchange and transformation of knowledge generated at the MMRC are essential components of its mission. We invite individuals from both inside and outside the mdw to engage in dialogue with us. This approach ensures the ongoing exchange of knowledge both within and outside the MDW.
Additional focal points are the pressing political issues surrounding the topic of 'music and minorities' in research and science communication. This is particularly important given the 'alarming increase in wars, violent conflicts, nationalist and populist political movements, and reactionary and anti-gender hostility worldwide' (mdw, Development Plan, p. 44).
If we have sparked your interest, please do not hesitate to contact us: mmrc@mdw.ac.at