What Can Art Express About Tinnitus That Science Cannot?
Call for Creative Submissions | WTC/ITS London 2027
The World Tinnitus Congress and International Tinnitus Seminar invites artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, performers and people with lived experience to propose creative work for presentation at WTC/ITS London 2027.
The congress theme, From Mechanism to Meaning, is inspired by T. S. Eliot’s timeless question:
“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?”
Scientific research can investigate the mechanisms of tinnitus, measure its effects and evaluate treatments. Art offers another form of understanding. It can communicate the private, emotional and existential dimensions of tinnitus that may be difficult to express through data or conventional presentations alone.
This is not a competition between art and science. It is an invitation to bring different ways of knowing into conversation.
What may be submitted?
We welcome original work connected with tinnitus, including:
- Visual art, photography and illustration
- Sculpture and installation
- Music and sound art
- Film, animation and digital media
- Poetry, spoken word and creative writing
- Live or recorded performance
- Multidisciplinary and collaborative work
Submissions may explore tinnitus directly or address related themes such as sound, silence, attention, distress, identity, isolation, adaptation, hope, treatment and recovery.
Who may submit?
Proposals are welcomed from professional and emerging artists, musicians, writers and performers, as well as researchers, clinicians, students and people with lived experience of tinnitus.
Scientific qualifications are not required. Collaborative proposals involving artists, researchers, clinicians or people with tinnitus are also encouraged.
How might the work be presented?
Depending on the nature of the work and the facilities available, selected submissions may be included as:
- Digital or physical displays
- Short films or recorded performances
- Live readings, performances or presentations
- Installations or multimedia experiences
- Contributions integrated into the scientific and cultural programme
The final presentation format will be agreed with contributors and will depend on available space, technical requirements and accessibility considerations.
What should the initial proposal include?
Please provide:
- The title of the proposed work
- The name and a brief biography of the artist or contributors
- A description of the work and its connection with tinnitus
- The proposed format, dimensions or duration
- Any technical, installation or accessibility requirements
- Up to three supporting images or links to relevant audio or video material
- Confirmation that you hold the necessary rights and permissions to present the work
Sound-based proposals should also state the intended listening level, duration and any appropriate content or sensory warnings.
How will proposals be considered?
Creative proposals will not be assessed as scientific abstracts. They will be considered according to:
- Relevance to tinnitus and the congress theme
- Originality and clarity of the creative idea
- Capacity to illuminate lived experience or personal meaning
- Ethical and respectful representation
- Practical feasibility, accessibility and safety
Deadline and how to submit
The deadline for creative proposals is:
31 January 2027
Please email your proposal to:
Please use the subject line:
Creative Submission: [Title of Work]
There is no need to use the scientific abstract submission system. Following review, the organising team will contact applicants and advise them about the next steps and the possible format for presenting their work at WTC/ITS London 2027.