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Chroma: Journal of the Australasian Computer Music Association

Call for Contributions for Volume 40: Human-Machine Entanglements

2026-05-04

Call for Creative Works and Practice-Based Research

For this special edition, Chroma introduces a dedicated focus on creative practice as research, foregrounding original works in computer music and sound art alongside concise critical reflection.

This edition centres creative work as a primary research outcome. Submissions will pair a completed work with a short accompanying text that articulates its development, context, and contribution to the field.

This issue marks the beginning of an ongoing creative works stream within the journal, with future editions continuing to support and showcase practice-based research in computer music. This initiative aims to establish a sustained venue for the publication and recognition of creative practice research within the ACMA community.

Theme

Human–Machine Entanglements

This theme invites submissions that explore relationships between human creativity, technological systems, and computational processes. It is intended as an open framework that accommodates the diversity of practices represented within the ACMA community.

Submissions are not required to explicitly address the theme but should engage with contemporary practices in computer music and sound art.

Scope of Submissions

We invite a broad range of creative works, including:

  • Electroacoustic and acousmatic music 
  • Live electronic and hybrid performance 
  • Audiovisual and multimedia works 
  • Sound art and installation 
  • AI-assisted or algorithmic composition 
  • Interactive, generative, and systems-based practices 

Works should demonstrate originality, experimentation, and engagement with current practices in the field.

Submission Components

Each submission must include:

  1. Creative Work
  • A current completed work produced within the last two years (not completed before July 2024) 
  • Hosted online (e.g. hosted online via stable platform such as Vimeo) 
  • Submitted via a stable access link

Hosting and Media Requirements

Primary media must be accessible via platforms such as Vimeo. Multichannel works should include stereo/binaural versions and optional full-resolution files. Archival materials may be hosted via Zenodo with DOI.

  1. Accompanying Paper (Mini-Exegesis)

A short text (approx. 1,500–2,500 words) that contextualises the work as research.

The paper should:

  • Describe the work and its artistic aims 
  • Outline key aspects of its development and realised form 
  • Situate the work within relevant artistic and scholarly contexts 
  • Articulate what the work contributes to the field 

The text should function as a concise practice-based research statement, combining critical reflection with clarity and focus.

     3. Ethics Statement

A brief statement (approx. 100–300 words) outlining any relevant ethical considerations associated with the work.

This may include, where applicable:

  • The use of human participants, performers, or collaborators
  • The sourcing and use of data, including AI training materials
  • Issues of authorship, consent, cultural sensitivity, or representation

Where no specific ethical issues arise, authors should include a short statement to this effect.

Review Process

Submissions will undergo peer review by experts in the field.

Given the practice-based nature of the work and the recognisability of artistic approaches within the community, anonymity cannot always be fully guaranteed. However, submissions will be reviewed with careful attention to fairness and rigour.

Reviewers will consider:

  • Artistic quality and originality 
  • Contribution to the field 
  • Clarity and strength of the accompanying text 

All reviewers will be required to declare conflicts of interest, and submissions will be managed to ensure appropriate separation between authors and reviewers wherever possible.

Eligibility

  • Works must have been created within the past two years 
  • Submissions should align with the aims of the Australasian Computer Music Association, including innovation, experimentation, and engagement with technology in music and sound practice 

Key Dates

  • Submission deadline: 31 July 2026 
  • Notification of outcomes: 30 September 2026
  • Publication: 31 October 2026

Submission Details

Please submit via our submissions page which contains information on registering an account with the journal and submitting articles. 

Zenodo Submission Guide

Upload files to Zenodo, complete metadata, select licence, generate DOI, and include DOI in submission. https://zenodo.org/

Submission Checklist

  • Creative work accessible
  • Paper included
  • Ethics statement included
  • Hosting requirements met
  • DOIs provided as required
  • Rights and permissions cleared
  • CC Licence understood