This November 20th, I will be chairing an online symposium for the Voice Study Centre:

The Voice Study Centre in partnership with the University of Essex are delighted to be hosting a symposium event on the 20th of November 2025: The Art and Science of Accents and Dialects: Bridging Linguistics and Dialect Coaching. We are inviting presentations from students of both the University of Essex and VSC to present 15-minute abstracts in the fields of linguistics and dialect coaching. Student abstract presentations will be followed by a two-hour online roundtable panel discussion including time for a 30-minute Q&A from the audience at the end.

While a diversity of accents and dialects on stage and screen have been increasingly abundant in recent years, with less obvious favouring of standardised accents, in the current world climate it remains crucial to continue to celebrate the many sounds and colours of our languages, accents and dialects.

Building on the foundational work of linguist Professor Beatrice Szczepek Reed and dialect coach Anne Whitaker, this initiative will bridge the traditional gap between academic linguistics and applied voice coaching to investigate the production, perception, and social impact of accents and dialects in contemporary performance. The roundtable will be driven by the need for authenticity and inclusivity in the arts, addressing how linguistic diversity is represented and understood by both performers and audiences.

https://voicestudycentre.com/vsc-research-events/the-art-and-science-of-accents-and-dialects-bridging-linguistics-and-dialect-coaching/