CANCELLATION OF THE ICTMD – IAML – IMS FORUM

Dear colleagues,

Recently, we received the official message from the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), confirming the cancellation of the 5th ICTMD Forum in cooperation with the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML) and the International Musicological Society (IMS). The event with thematic focus on Musical Heritage and Artificial Intelligence in the Middle East and the Mediterranean was scheduled to take place in Manama, the capital city of The Kingdom of Bahrain, on 13-15 May 2026. A couple of weeks ago, we sent an update on “postponement until further notice” to the confirmed active participants. The event is now formally cancelled. First and foremost, we would like to reiterate our sincere thanks and support to our colleagues at BACA as the hosting institution, and to people in Bahrain and in the wider Gulf region in these challenging war times. We also express deep gratitude to all those ICTMD, IAML, and IMS members whose inspiring abstracts were accepted by the Programme Committee. Together, after months of excellent collaboration, we were very much looking forward to the important and intellectually enriching Forum within the frame of the Spring of Culture festival in Manama. However, despite our best wishes and shared hopes, the Programme Committee led by Presidents of the three sister societies (Tan Sooi Beng, Rupert Ridgewell, Kate van Orden) and the Local Arrangements Committee led by Svanibor Pettan and Noor Alqassim stand united with BACA in the decision to cancel the Forum under the current security situation, which is beyond anyone’s control. Should you have any immediate concerns or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With warm regards and loud calls for peace on behalf of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities,

Local Arrangements Committee: Svanibor Pettan and Noor Alqassim (ICTMD)

Program Committee: Tan Sooi Beng (Co-chair), Svanibor Pettan, Noor Alqassim (ICTMD), Kate van Orden (Co-chair), Dinko Fabris (IMS), Rupert Ridgewell (Co-chair), Nathalie Histrov (IAML).

We would like to draw your attention to the Call for Proposals for the 5th ICTMD Forum, in cooperation with IAML and IMS - theme is Musical Heritage and Artificial Intelligence in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and hosted by the Bahrain Authority of Culture and Antiquities (BACA) in Manama, Bahrain, 13-15 May 2026.

Please submit proposals here: https://forms.gle/q2kFD8P1WUYkxfeeA - the deadline for submission is Sunday, 8 February 2026.