We’re delighted to announce applications open today for In Motion, our 18-month artist development programme, which supports 10 composers to design and undertake their own creative and professional journey.
About the Programme
In Motion is designed to support you to develop clarity around your goals for your artistic and professional development as well as design a creative project that can support you to achieve these goals. You will receive an artist bursary and access a production grant to support you with researching and producing your work, accompanied by one-to-one support and group sessions throughout the programme. We will support you to choose your own pathway and develop a public-facing outcome. This outcome could be an event, an EP, an installation, an educational resource, a work-in-progress sharing, a proof-of-concept, or something else entirely as long as it is public-facing and has a clear connection to your artistic development.
As a composer on the programme, you will receive:
- An artist bursary of £1,800
- A production grant of up to £4,000 to support with project or artistic development expenses
- Regular 1:1 sessions with a dedicated team member
- Coaching sessions with an accredited coach
- An allowance to pay for mentoring sessions
- Group-sharing sessions and workshops, including a two-day residential called the Networking Days
Read on here for a more detailed description of In Motion to help you understand what is involved in taking part and whether this is the right programme for your needs.
In Motion is made possible with the generous support of Arts Council England, Jerwood Foundation, PRS Foundation, Garrick Club Charitable Trust and Creative Scotland.
Who are we looking for?
In Motion is an artist development programme that supports any composers working with music and sound in the UK. We use the term composer to describe anyone who creates new work using music or sound, whether you perform it yourself or write for others — and whether you work with software, use notation, improvise, or in other ways.
For this programme, you must be curious and want to experiment with new ways in how you make work and sustain your career. You must have a capacity to self-reflect and lead a creative process, and take initiative for your own learning and development in order to best benefit from the 1:1 and group support we offer on the programme.
In Motion focuses around what we call a step-change, a significant development or shift in your artistic or professional practice that will make a big difference to you as an artist in achieving your goals and building a sustainable career.
For example, you might want to:
- Develop an area of work that’s completely new to you, or create work outside a ‘pigeonhole’
- Engage new audiences and communities for your work
- Explore areas of your solo practice more deeply
- Bring together previously different areas of your practice
- Explore and understand how to work with your own access needs
- Explore what success means to you in your work
- Explore your working processes more deeply
- Develop work on a larger scale
- Take risks in a supportive setting
- Work with new collaborators or art forms
How does the application process work?
The application is in two stages. The first stage is open to anyone. A selection of applicants will then be invited to progress and complete the second stage of the application
In this first application, you will:
- submit your personal information
- share your bio (150 words)
- tell us what step-change you want to undertake (250 words)
- tell us what will be different about your practice at the end of the programme (250 words)
- share two examples of your work
Applications close on 4 December 2024. We will inform you of the outcome of the first stage application by 22 January 2024. We offer feedback to all unsuccessful applicants upon request.
How do I apply?
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 4 December 2024, 23:59 GMT.
Before applying, make sure you read more about the programme, and read our Application Guidance Document carefully to make sure this programme is a good fit for you and you are familiar with the application process and our criteria.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible to apply you must:
- Be over 18 years old at the point of applying
- Not be in full or part-time education (in any subject and including PhDs) between April 2025-November 2026
- Have been based in the UK for the last two years
- Plan to remain resident, and have permission to stay, in the UK until November 2026
- Provide two recordings of your works
- Not have received a grant, fund, or been on one of our artist development programmes in the last six months
Questions?
You can read more details about the programme to have a clearer picture of what is involved for selected composers.
We are hosting two information sessions open to all with information about the application process and the programme. If you are interested in applying and would like to find out if this is the right programme for you, then please join us for one of the sessions, which will take place on Zoom.
- Monday 11 November 2024, 12:30–1:30pm: Webinar open to all composers – Sign up for the open webinar here
- Tuesday 12 November 2024, 12:30–1:30pm: Open to composers identifying as d/Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent – Sign up for the d/Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent session here
These meetings will be relaxed and informal, and we will have automated captions enabled.
If you have any additional questions or would like to get in touch about In Motion, you can contact Grace Bailey (Grace.Bailey@SoundandMusic.org)
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