Grants for New Music Works responding to the Climate Emergency

Introducing...Climate. Sound. Change. 3 x £500 grants for artists working with sound and music to create new works that respond to the climate emergency with a minimum of one of those grants reserved for a young person aged 16-21.*

Across the world, front-line communities are battling the effects of climate change and raising awareness of the global emergency we face. In recent years, an international wave of sustained and direct action has added to the public awareness of the greatest issue of our time, leading to a number of national and local governments declaring a Climate Emergency. This crisis and its current impact is being felt disproportionately by those already disadvantaged. We cannot consider the climate emergency without considering the other systems of oppression in the world.

At Sound and Music, and particularly on the British Music Collection, they feel it is important to create space for composers whose work engages with and seeks to address current social issues. As a living archive they want to present and curate works that encourage audiences to reflect and to have more insight into how composers, musicians and artists are responding to these issues creatively and within their everyday lives.

The opportunity is intentionally open, and you can continue to keep it broad or focus on specific areas or issues of interest, which might include (but are not limited to):

• Mass production
• Pollution
• Disability
• Access to water
• Global warming
• Indigenous rights
• Racial justice
• Class discrimination
• Environmental refugees and displacement
• Biodiversity loss
• Specific regional issues

These works can be created either alone (solo) or with collaborators of your choice (this could be another composer / musician / visual artist / filmmaker/ animator/ writer etc.)

For the fee, they are looking for 1-5 minute creative responses (this could be audio, video or novel/collaborative approaches to scoring and sharing work …) If you would like to produce a longer piece of work, you are welcome, but Sound and Music is keen to ensure everyone is paid fairly and properly for their time and work.

Successful applicants will also be able to demonstrate an awareness of the environmental impact of their own work. The selected works will be launched and hosted on the British Music Collection online, shared via our social channels and newsletters.

See their Interpreting Isolation project for examples of online work created for them – although your work might be something very different.

*Young Person’s Opportunity
As part of the Climate. Sound. Change. call they have committed at least one grant to a young artist, composer, music creator or producer aged 16-21 making sound and music in any style or genre. This opportunity is open to any level of experience and they are particularly keen to support young people who have not previously had access to similar opportunities and/or have not taken part in formal music education. Their only requirement is that you have a genuine connection to the issue you wish to explore, for example through lived experience. Though supported by the Sound and Music team, the successful candidate will retain full creative and budgetary control. You will receive a grant of £500 which you may wish to use to help make your work. For example, you might use it to purchase new equipment or a piece of software. Alternatively, you might opt for specialist training or mentoring support to help develop your approach to making new sound and music – it's completely up to you.

Please note that candidates that are aged under 18 will require permission from a parent or guardian to apply for this opportunity.

How to apply:
Sound and Music is committed to equality, inclusivity and diversity across all our programmes. They actively encourage applicants who are D/deaf; disabled; LGBTQI+; working class; who experience racism; and/or applicants who feel they have had less access to opportunity, or who have experienced barriers or discrimination, due to a protected or other characteristic.

Application Form
Application Form for the Young Person’s Opportunity
Deadline for applications: Sunday 15th November 2020
To apply you will need to provide:
• Your name and email (so we can get in touch with you)
• 250 words or a 2 minute video about your proposal for this work
• 250 words or a 2 minute video about your experience (or how this grant will help to develop your approach to composing or creating new sound and music) including links to previous work if you have them

Please note that if you submit a video application you do not need to be talking to the camera. Please apply in whatever way best suits your needs.

The named applicant must be based in the UK.

All applicants will hear back from us by Monday 30th November

If you have a question, you can contact us: Heather Blair, Creative Project Leader – heather.blair@soundandmusic.org

For more information visit https://britishmusiccollection.org.uk/article/opportunity-climate-sound-change