Sound and Music is thrilled to announce the second-ever cohort of our flagship artist development programme, In Motion—welcoming 10 bold and boundary-pushing composers from across the UK to join the 2025 edition of the programme.
This year, we received an incredible 450 applications, showcasing the breadth and depth of talent from music creators working across experimental pop, folk, jazz, classical, electroacoustic, sound art, performance and more. The selected composers represent a powerful mix of voices, visions and practices, each bringing something wholly distinctive to this 18-month journey of artistic development and collaboration.
Now in its second year, In Motion builds on the legacy of our past artist development programmes while responding to the evolving needs of today’s music creators. Whether exploring data, diaspora or distortion, grief, storytelling or improvisation, the 2025 cohort reflects the immense richness and originality of new music in the UK today.
These artists are working across disciplines and borders—blending field recordings with electronics, voice with sculpture, poetry with punk and folklore with ritual. They also include composers working in sound installation and theatre, multi-instrumentalists creating new performance practices, and producers exploring gender, memory and community.
Our In Motion 2025 composers are: Bofan Ma, Grace Stubbings, Harry Burgess, John Falsetto, Nichola Scrutton, Sarahsson, Shamica Ruddock, Sonia Allori, Tendertwin, and Ushara.
At Sound and Music, we believe in long-term, bespoke and artist-led support. In Motion is designed to help composers navigate the challenges of sustaining a career in music and to amplify their practice on their own terms. It is a space for reflection, experimentation, connection and growth.
Composers
Bofan Ma is an intermedia composer and researcher based in Manchester. Originally from China, he actively explores what ‘borders’ could mean in the age of datafication.
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Read Bofan Ma's Q&A
Grace Stubbings is a cross-disciplinary artist from Hartlepool, working as a musician, producer, sound artist, and workshop facilitator. Her practice weaves improvisation, ecology and community engagement.
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Read Grace Stubbings's Q&A
Harry Burgess is a musician, writer, and educator based in London. He is best known as the lead vocalist of avant-pop band Adult Jazz, whose two albums received critical acclaim.
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Read Harry Burgess's Q&A
John Falsetto is an award-winning Zimbabwean composer, musical director, vocalist, and theatre-maker whose work bridges traditional Southern African music with contemporary performance.
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Read John Falsetto's Q&A
Nichola Scrutton is an award-winning composer, performer and artist. Nichola produces self-directed projects, and her works have been broadcast internationally.
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Read Nichola Scrutton's Q&A
Sarahsson is a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, performance artist and DJ based in Bristol. Her work explores personal and cultural mythologies of femininity and transition.
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Read Sarahsson's Q&A
Shamica Ruddock is an artist-composer working across film, installation and live performance. Shamica has previously held residencies with Brussels experimental sound lab QO2, and Somerset House Studios.
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Read Shamica Ruddock's Q&A
Sonia Allori is a Scottish/Italian composer, performer, researcher and music therapist based in the Scottish Highlands. She is a multi-instrumentalist and singer, and has a PhD in composition.
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Read Sonia Allori's Q&A
Bilge Nur Yilmaz is a Turkish-born composer, vocalist, and interdisciplinary artist working as Tendertwin. Blending ambient folk and microtonal textures, her work explores themes of belonging, grief, and transformation.
Ushara Dilrukshan is a London-based Sri Lankan multi-media performance artist. Her works tackle ideas of cultural identity, womanhood and trauma explored through narrative and sound.
The Panel
Selection was a rigorous and competitive process informed by our Fair Access Principles which help us ensure our programmes are as open and inclusive as possible and help us to progress equity within music in the UK.
We extend our gratitude to our specially selected expert panel, including Toria Banks, Laura Cannell, Annie Goh, Marcus Joseph and Taz Modi, alongside Sound and Music's Creative Project Leaders, for their dedication in selecting a cohort that reflects a wide range of genres and backgrounds.
As part of commitment to fair access, inclusivity and transparency, the panels are rotated yearly, and diverse perspectives are involved at every stage in the selection process.
Thanks to our funders
Sound and Music is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.
In Motion is made possible with the generous support of Arts Council England, Jerwood Developing Artists Fund, PRS Foundation, The Garrick Charitable Trust and Creative Scotland National Lottery.
See also
