hcmf//, Nordic Music Days and Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival are excited to offer three artists from the Nordic region (DK, NO, SE, IS, UK, FI, FO and GL) the opportunity to take part in a year-long programme focused on sustainable composition and creative sound practices.
The programme encourages composers and sound artists to integrate sustainability into their creative processes. Selected applicants will participate in workshops at Nordic Music Days 2024 and Ultima 2025, providing them with an opportunity to discover new ideas and explore the possibilities of creative work with sustainability as its starting point.
In addition to these workshops, the programme includes: a digital residency during Spring 2025; two hours of one-to-one tutoring; and an artistic output to be presented in Huddersfield as part of hcmf// 2025.
Topics addressed in the various workshops and during the digital residency will include:
– Sustainable audio technologies and materials (including innovations in green sound tech and acoustic properties of green materials)
– Ecological awareness (taking inspiration from artists whose projects deal thematically with environmental issues)
– Flexible choice-making (exploring and re-thinking musical choices with sustainability in mind)
– Acoustic practices and ecologies (including acoustic policies, artistic projects in public spaces and urban planning initiatives)
– Collaborative strategies (including digital platforms for creation and collaboration in composition and other sound practices)
– Participatory practices and engagement with local communities
Key information & eligibility
This opportunity is open to composers and sound artists based in the Nordic region with a strong interest in climate change and environmentalism.
Applicants must be:
– Resident in the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, the Faroe Islands or Greenland
– Available to travel to Glasgow to take part in Nordic Music Days 2024 industry programme from 30 October – 3 November
– Available to travel to Oslo to take part in workshops during Ultima 2025 (festival dates 12 – 20 September 2025, workshop dates tbc)
– Available to travel to Huddersfield to present their work as part of hcmf// 2025 (festival dates 21 – 30 November 2025, presentation dates tbc)
Participants will also be expected to participate in online workshops and individual tutoring sessions during Spring 2025, as well as regular online meetings throughout the programme. Dates and times for these sessions will be fixed in discussion with the successful applicants.
The selected participants will each receive a fee of £2,500 GBP, and travel and accommodation costs (including compensation in relation to low-impact travel*) related to programme activities will be covered.
*Although we aim to encourage and facilitate low-impact travel wherever possible, we understand that this may not always be a viable option for participants and recognise that the same groups who bear the burden of climate change and depleted natural resources should not also experience the loss of their artistic livelihood as a result of living in (for example) less central areas with reduced transport infrastructure.
How to apply
To apply, please email the following material to info@hcmf.co.uk with the subject line ‘Sustainable Composition & Creative Sound Practices 2024’:
– A short biography (up to 300 words)
– A statement describing why you would like to take part in the programme; how your artistic interests fits the topics of the project; preliminary ideas for the artistic output (up to 500 words)
– A maximum of 3 relevant examples of your work, including audio examples if these exist
– A completed monitoring form (click here to download)
Applications may be written (2 sides of A4 maximum) or they can take the form of a short video (2 minutes maximum). Written applications must be in either Word or PDF format. Video applications must not be in the style of a trailer/promo video and must provide the information outlined above. Audio/AV material must be in the form of web links – MP3/4 attachments will not be accepted.
Applications must be submitted in English.
Application deadline: 23.59 BST on 23 September 2024
All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by 2 October 2024.
Sustainable Composition & Creative Sound Practices is supported by Arts Council England, Danish Arts Foundation, Arts Council Norway and Julie’s Bicycle via the International Touring and Environmental Responsibility Fund
Sustainable Composition & Creative Sound Practices is part of The Current Climate