New Voices is our artist development programme that supports composers at pivotal stages of their careers to explore new ideas, new sounds and new music.
Each project is unique from composer to composer and year to year and that excites us.
Each year we support eight composers over 18 months with coaching, mentoring and a financial grant to create a new piece of work and share it with new audiences.
New Voices is a unique opportunity for composers to take essential time to explore and develop their work. Whether you live in an urban or rural environment, whether you trained at a conservatoire or are self-taught, whether you produce electronic or acoustic work, or whether you have many years’ experience or consider yourself ‘emerging’. We know there isn't one model that will or should fit everyone.
How does it work?
This programme is open to composers and music-makers of all backgrounds and genres.
Successful applicants are enrolled on an 18-month programme and receive an artist grant, a production grant, and access to coaching, mentoring, and one to one support with an allocated Creative Project Leader. All shortlisted applicants will be eligible for our Seed Award.
You will spend six months in the Discovery Phase — exploring ideas and developing your work. This is followed by 12 months of the Activity Phase, where we support you to realise and deliver the project you have envisioned.
"Each stage of this project represented a step forward for me: the extended length of the programme enabled me to conduct preliminary research in greater depth than previously possible, uncovering new lines of inquiry to pursue in my work. Working with Plus-Minus Ensemble was a unique and extremely positive experience. This amounted to a significant learning opportunity the likes of which I have not previously had access to."
How do I apply?
Applications for New Voices 2022 are now closed.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Be over 18 years old
- Not in full or part-time education (in any subject)
- Have been based in the UK for the last two years
- Plan to remain resident in the UK for the 18-month duration of the programme
- Provide two recordings of your works
- Not have been on our New Voices, Embedded, Pathways or Portfolio programmes previously
- Not currently on one of our other Artist Development programmes (e.g. Composer Curator or Adopt a Music Creator)
Meet the composers
Romarna Campbell, Jelly Cleaver, Holysseus Fly, Sonia Allori, Lou Barnell, Lucy Duncombe, Nneka Cummins and Chris Jacquin.
Yohan Kebede, Chisara Agor, Gwen Siôn, illyr, Ben Nobuto, Jennifer Wrigley, Rylan Gleave and Jaka Škapin.
Alice Boyd, Georgia Denham, Tamsin Elliott, Cassandra Gurling, Elijah Maja, Frazer Merrick, Shirley Tetteh and Melanie Wilson.
Lisa Busby, Mella Faye, Jamie Hamilton, Sharon Gal, Emily Levy, Marv Radio, Max Syedtollan and Otto Willberg.
Vicki Bennett, Stuart Brown, Bex Burch, David Austin Grey, Alex Ho, Edmund Hunt, Johnny Hunter, Andy Ingamells, Liz Dilnot Johnson, Marcus Joseph, Eunseog Lee, Daniel McBride, Eska Mtungwazi, Supriya Nagarajan and Gugak Sounds.
Featured composer
See also
Composer-Curator is a composer-led and curated national touring programme which supports outstanding live and digital music projects and events.
Adopt a Music Creator is a unique scheme, developed in partnership with Making Music UK, that pairs composers with leisure-time music ensembles and groups to collaborate on the creation of a new piece.
This is a small grant to support composers and their work through self-learning projects, equipment, mentoring, and other direct costs for a project or artist development.