Sound and Music

23/04/2026

🏃‍♀️ Run the Royal Parks Half Marathon with us!

🎟️ We have two places for our community to run Royal Parks Half Marathon in support of Sound and Music on Sunday 11 October 2026.

🌳 One of the UK’s most iconic races — 16,000 runners, live music along the route and a stunning course past landmarks like Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square.

🎧 Run to support the future of new music — helping us raise £3,000 to support a young creator from a low-income household to attend In the Making 2027.

💸 Each runner will aim to raise £500, joining our CEO Will Dutta and External Advisor Charlotte Gray.

✨ Enter our ballot by completing a short form and telling us why you’d like to run. If you’re not successful, there are plenty of other Active Challenges across the year to support our work.

📅 Ballot closes Thursday 30 April
📩 Entrants notified Monday 11 May

🔗 Find out more and enter here: https://bit.ly/SaMxRoyalParksHalf

22/04/2026

The MUSIC Issue 16 is here 🎵

🤝 We’re pleased to have collaborated with 5Eleven Magazine and Goodwood Art Foundation to feature Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

🌱 When 5Eleven approached us to feature a composer whose work moves across disciplines, borders and environments, we immediately thought of Anna. Her music is shaped by landscape, texture and the physical experience of sound — making Goodwood Art Foundation’s striking setting a natural backdrop for the shoot.

💿 This Spring/Summer issue explores the relationship between sound and fashion — tracing how genres from rock, classical and gospel to flamenco, city pop and jazz continue to shape runways and creative direction.

📸 Photographed by Edwin S. Freyer, this collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to working across art forms and contexts — connecting music with art, fashion, environment and storytelling.

🎼 Anna Thorvaldsdottir is currently working on a new large-scale orchestral commission, alongside regular international performances of her existing work.

🌟 Discover the full editorial feature, written by Caoimhe Clements, in The MUSIC Issue 16 — with special thanks to Richard Grindy, Boram Lee, Sally Lower, Will Dutta and Rick Owens.

📕 Out now via 5ELEVEN Magazine
🔗 Purchase a copy and learn more: https://bit.ly/AnnaThorvaldsdottirInterview

10/03/2026

02/03/2026

🌟 We’re delighted to share that Zhao Jiajing’s work FOMO has been selected to represent Britain at the ISCM World New Music Days Festival 2026 in Bucharest, Romania 🇷🇴

🎶 Selected in the Electronic Works category, FOMO will feature as part of an international programme of new and experimental music exploring the cutting edge of contemporary sound.

🌍 The ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) is a global network promoting the creation and performance of new music across nearly 50 countries. Sound and Music proudly represents the British Section, supporting UK-based composers to share their work on this international stage.

🔗 Read more about the ISCM, listen to FOMO, and explore other British Section shortlisted creators and their works here: https://bit.ly/ISCMBritishSection2026

28/02/2026

🎵 Calling all UK-based music creators! Round Four of the Essentials Fund is now open! 🎉

💷 This round offers £250–£450 to support your practice. Use it for equipment, software, training, mentoring, recording your work or other essential costs that will move your creative plans forward.

🔀 New for Round Four: We’re introducing a two phase process starting with a short registration form. A randomly selected group will then be invited to submit a full application, helping reduce bias and make the process fairer and more transparent.

📥 To apply, you must be 18+, UK-based for the past two years, not in education and not currently on any of our artist development programmes. Just tell us what you need and the difference it will make.

📆 Registrations close Monday 9 March 2026 at 23:59 UTC
🔗 Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/EssentialsFundRoundFour

27/02/2026

🌟 We’re pleased to welcome Abram Wilson as the latest organisation to sign up to our Fair Access Principles.

🟰 Music shapes lives, communities and culture, but to do so meaningfully it must be representative of all of the UK. Our Fair Access Principles are a sector-leading code of best practice for inclusive and equitable artist development, addressing structural barriers and creating fairer pathways in music.

🎵 Working across the North West of England and London, the Abram Wilson Foundation for Creative Arts works to inspire, connect and open doors to the music industry so that minoritised young talent have an equal chance to realise their creative potential. Inspired by the critically acclaimed musician Abram Wilson, the charity champions young people and emerging professional musicians through its Future Sound music education programme and career development initiatives, working to unleash talent and carve equitable space in the UK music industry.

🌍 With over 35 organisations now signed up, the Fair Access Network is a growing national movement for collective action and shared accountability in equity and inclusion across the sector.

📩 We welcome more partners to join our growing Fair Access Network and commit to the Principles. To find out more about becoming a signatory, contact our Head of Programmes, Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis at [email protected].

🔗 Learn more and read the Abram Wilson Foundation’s full statement here: https://bit.ly/AbramWilsonFairAccess

25/02/2026

🎶 Calling all ensembles! We’re looking for an Ensemble in Residence to join our In the Making 2026 summer residential — a week-long programme working with 50 young creators aged 14–18 from across the UK. ✨

As Ensemble in Residence, you will:�
🎼 Collaborate with young artists to develop, workshop and perform new compositions�
🎹 Work across styles and approaches, including electronic and experimental music�
🎻 Perform and record participants’ works at an end-of-week showcase�
📹 Contribute to educational video resources

What we offer:�
✅ £6,000 total fee (incl. VAT)�
✅ Accommodation + catering/per diem�
✅ UK travel expenses covered�
✅ DBS checks covered by us

📆 In the Making 2026 residential takes place from Sunday 26 – Friday 31 July 2026 at the University of Huddersfield. We welcome applications from ensembles of any instrumentation or line-up, particularly musicians at earlier or pivotal stages in their development and we’re open to hearing what you’d like to bring to the programme.

📥 Send us your proposal today! Applications close Wednesday 11 March 2026 at midnight.

🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://bit.ly/EnsembleinResidence2026

09/02/2026

🎶 Join the Sound and Music team! 🎶

💡 Are you interested in a unique role in the industry helping to shape the future of Sound and Music? We’re recruiting a Senior Creative Programme Leader to provide maternity cover for a key member of our Programmes Team.

🎵 This is a key role in shaping and delivering our developing artist work, including programmes, awards and commissions. You’ll project-manage our flagship artist development programmes end-to-end, from planning and budgeting through to delivery and evaluation, while supporting artists directly through 1:1 sessions and group activities.

🤝 You’ll line-manage a Creative Programme Leader, contribute to the continued improvement of our programmes through monitoring and evaluation, and support and deputise for the Head of Programmes when needed.

📄 Fixed-term contract (12 months)
📅 Start date: 25 May 2026 (or as agreed)
📥 Application deadline: Sunday 8 March 2026, 23:59 UTC

💻 Drop-in Information Session: Join an informal Zoom session with our Head of Programmes on Wednesday 25 February 2026, 10:00–11:00, to learn more about the role and recruitment process.

🔗 Download our recruitment pack, register for the webinar and apply here: https://bit.ly/SCPLatSoundandMusic

02/02/2026

🎵 Applications are now open for In the Making 2026 ✍️✨

In the Making is the UK’s only year-long artist development programme for young music creators aged 14–18 — open to all styles of music, from beats and songs to sound art, classical, experimental and everything in between.

Each year, 50 young creators from across the UK come together for an unforgettable creative journey — starting with an intensive week-long summer residential, followed by 12 months of online development, mentoring and peer support.

It begins with a six-day residential at the University of Huddersfield (26–31 July 2026), before continuing into a flexible year-long programme of creative development, industry insight and career support (September 2026 - June 2027).

🎶 What you’ll create and experience
• Dedicated time to develop your own original work and creative ambition
• Professional artists and tutors supporting your ideas and practice
• Your music workshopped, performed and enhanced by leading musicians
• Your work professionally recorded, performed and filmed
• Industry insight and career guidance from across the music sector
• A creative community of young music makers from across the UK

💡 If you work with, support, teach or care for a young person between 14–18 who is passionate about making music — or if you are a young music creator yourself — then this programme is for you.

📆 Applications close Monday 20 April 2026 at midnight
🔗 Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/IntheMaking2026

15/11/2025

🎵 Calling all UK-based composers, music creators and artists! Round Three of the Essentials Fund is now open! 🎉

💷 This round offers £300–£600 to help you strengthen your composing practice. Use it for equipment, software, training, mentoring, recording your work or other essential costs that will move your creative plans forward.

🔀 New for Round Three: we’re piloting a randomisation approach to help reduce bias, support more artists equitably and make the process simpler and more transparent.

📝 To apply, you must be 18+, UK-based for the past two years, not in education and not currently on any Sound and Music artist development programme. Just tell us what you need and the difference it will make.

📆 Applications close Monday 08 December 2025, 23:59
🔗 https://bit.ly/EssentialsFundRound3

06/10/2025

🎶 Applications for In Motion 2026 are now open!
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🎧 In Motion, our flagship artist development programme, opens today for composers and music creators ready to take a transformative step in their creative journey. Over 18 months, In Motion offers tailored support, mentorship and funding to help you gain clarity in your artistic goals and bring a public-facing project to life — whether that’s an EP, installation, event or another form of creative expression.⁠

✨ The programme offers a substantial package of support, including a £1,800 artist bursary, a production grant of up to £4,000, 1:1 mentoring and professional coaching. You’ll also participate in our two-day Networking Days residential, designed to foster collaboration and creativity within a community of like-minded composers.⁠

🎭 In Motion is divided into two phases. In the initial Discovery Phase (6 months), you’ll clarify your goals, develop your creative ideas and set a realistic project plan and budget. The Activity Phase (12 months) focuses on implementing your plan and sharing your work with an audience.⁠

📝 The application has two stages. First, you'll submit your bio, describe the step-change you aim to achieve and share two examples of your work. Selected candidates will then be invited to complete the second stage. Applications close on Monday 3 November 2025, with successful candidates notified by Friday 20 March 2026.⁠

💻 Have more questions? We’re hosting two webinars — an open session for all composers on Monday 13 October and another session open to d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent composers on Tuesday 14 October.⁠

🤝 Sound and Music is a PRS FoundationTalent Development Network Partner supported by PPL - Phonographic Performance Ltd. In Motion is made possible with the generous support of Arts Council England, Jerwood Foundation, The Garrick Club Charitable Trust, Michael Guest Charitable Trust, Marchus Trust and Creative Scotland.
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🔗 To find out more about In Motion and to apply, visit our website: https://bit.ly/InMotion26

03/10/2025

🎶 Join our Board of Trustees 🎶

💡 Are you passionate about music and skilled in finance or accountancy? We are looking for two new Trustees to help shape the future of new music and sound in the UK.

🎵 As a Trustee, you’ll guide our vision, support composers of all ages, and help deliver our Strategic Plan, The Trail 2023–28. You’ll join a committed Board, bringing your expertise and networks to champion creativity, equity and innovation in music.

📥 Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 19 October 2025
💻 Webinar: Thursday 9 October, 12:00 — an informal session to learn more about the role and recruitment process

🌍 We are committed to expanding the diversity of our Board so that it reflects the people we work with and is best placed to support the diverse artists on our programmes. We strongly encourage applications from individuals from under-represented backgrounds in the sector.

🔗 Download our Trustee recruitment pack, register for the webinar, and apply here: https://bit.ly/TrusteeSoundandMusic