Nurturing artistic talent has been at the heart of hcmf// for 40 years. Ever since we awarded James Dillon the Young Composers’ Award at our inaugural festival, we’ve been encouraging and investing in the artistic vision of young people. With our newly launched Young Curators’ Programme, we’ll be helping five Kirklees artists take the next step, providing them with both a framework in which to produce events, and a stage on which to realise them.
The programme will develop talent and leadership amongst the music programmers, promoters and curators of the future. Engaging with local artists and producers, we discovered amazing pockets of music and art happening throughout the Kirklees region, with active scenes scattered across many of its small towns.
Our Young Curators are about to embark upon specially designed programmes, each one tailored to their individual needs. In addition to training and mentoring by the experienced hcmf// team, the participants will also have the chance to develop new works that can be tested within the region, and presented to audiences at a future festival.
Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more information about the project, getting to know each artist and the music they’re interested in spreading through Kirklees. For now, we’re excited to introduce our five Young Curators for 2020:
Claye Bowler
Claye is a visual artist who has recently moved to Slaithwaite to set up a new events space with an artist residency programme called Yonder. Claye has a background in creating visual art and recently has become interested in using sound in their own work. As a curator, they are interested in supporting new work by artists who will be inspired by the natural surroundings of Slaithwaite, and hope to gain valuable experience from hcmf// about how to present work in unusual spaces.
Jake Burdass
Jake is the founder of recording studio and events space Bassment in Huddersfield where he promotes dance music. Bassment already has an excellent reputation in the area for supporting creative, underground artists and with support from hcmf// Jake hopes to introduce the Bassment brand to new audiences, while creating unique events in the space. Jake also wants to improve his practical skills around event management including light and sound production.
Holly Czolacz
Holly is a freelance opera singer from Huddersfield who is interested in promoting opera and wants to show how music can be used to support good mental health and well-being. Holly plans to stage compressed versions of traditional opera repertoire in a variety of contexts including hospitals and hospices. She is particularly interested in introducing opera to new audiences around the Kirklees community and would like to work with hcmf// to make this happen.
Bethany Holloway
Bethany is a music technology student at the University of Huddersfield and has recently established a new society, MCs and DJs and Production. Through the university society Bethany has planned events under the name In the Trap, promoting new artists working in electronic and bass music. Bethany is interested in events management as a future career and in learning how to create professional events.
Charlotte Roe
Charlotte is a visual artist who works as the main events manager at The Old Turk in Dewbury. Charlotte is interested in putting Dewsbury on the map as a location for excellent live music in Kirklees. She’s keen to develop her curatorial skills so that she can create memorable events in the space she manages. Charlotte has a background in visual art and is curious to work with hcmf// to see where art meets sound – and how combinations of these elements could exist together in a live context.