Last updated: 14 July 2025 

Thank you for your application to our recent commission open call in collaboration with the British Council. We received an overwhelming number of applications, over 270 in total. This high volume led to delays in the scoring and assessment process, and as a result we had to be more stringent with our selection criteria to ensure a fair evaluation.

We appreciate the time and effort you put into your application. Unfortunately, due to the size of the commission and large volume of applications we are unable to provide bespoke feedback to each applicant.

While we received many strong applications, several submissions lacked the depth and detail necessary for consideration. We encourage all applicants to provide comprehensive information that clearly articulates their vision and distinguishes their proposals from others.

Below, we outline the common reasons why applications were unsuccessful at this stage, which we hope will provide clarity and guidance for future opportunities.

Please note that not all points outlined below may apply to your specific application. 

Ineligible applications

Some applications we received were ineligible for this opportunity and automatically excluded, for example:

  • If one or more links to your works were missing or not accessible (e.g., a Google Drive link that wasn't shared), the application was excluded
  • You must apply from your country of residence, not on the basis of your nationality. Applicants who were nationals of an ODA country but live in the UK were ineligible
  • If you are a UK composer but you are not a Seed alumni or a current Seed composer, your application was automatically excluded

Application questions

  • Answers provided little to no information provided, making it challenging for the panel to understand your reflections on the questions posed
  • Responses may not have referenced specific details about the project, such as working within the radio medium or collaborating across nations. Providing concrete examples could enhance your application
  • No clarification about passion for the project, or didn't provide insufficient connection to the themes of the commission
  • Some creative proposal ideas did not demonstrate a clear relation to the opportunity, particularly in terms of radio work or other relevant mediums. It is crucial to align your creative ideas with the specific requirements of the commission

We received many more strong applications than we could select for this opportunity. If you were shortlisted to the top 30 applicants, we will have let you know in our email to you.

When shortlisting and selecting applicants for this opportunity, we also considered the range and balance of applicants we aim to support. Our goal is to support artists from a diverse array of backgrounds, artforms, disciplines, countries, and stage in their career.

We hope this feedback provides helpful insights as you consider reapplying to In Motion or to other programmes. Due to the high volume of applications received we are unable to provide more detailed or personalised feedback at this stage.