1.    I can’t find the Eligibility Quiz!

Alright, alright. We admit it. We’ve definitely confused you on this one so sorry about that! To set things straight once and for all here’s what you need to do to access that elusive Eligibility Quiz…

All Fellowship applications must be made online using our application system. To access the system, first up you need to go to the Music Fellowships page and click on ‘Apply Now’. This will open a new page where you’ll need to register on the system as a new applicant. You can also download some handy PDF instructions from that page which will tell you how to complete your application and navigate around the system.

Once you’ve registered for an account you will be able to access the Eligibility Quiz. Only if you complete and pass the Eligibility Quiz will you have the option to start filling out the Application Form.


2.    I’ve started filling out the form but it keeps referring to an organisation. I’m an individual – I’m confused.

Filling out an application isn’t the most riveting of pastimes, so please don’t waste your time starting an application form as an individual as it won’t be eligible and won’t be assessed.

To be totally clear then – rather than awarding grants directly to individuals through the scheme, we’re looking for applications from professional music companies, organisations, venues and festivals from across the UK to take on an individual as a Fellow within their organisation. So it should be the organisation looking to host that individual that should submit the application to us, not the individual themselves. Clear? Good.

However as an individual interested in the scheme we don’t want you to feel that it’s entirely out of your reach! Definitely have a think about your own development and which organisations you might benefit from working with. Approach them, let them know about the opportunity if they don’t already, arrange to meet for a cup of tea and let them know you’d be interested in undertaking a Fellowship with them. Don’t ask – don’t get.


3.    Our organisation is just not going to be able to select a Fellow before the application deadline.

We appreciate that for a variety of reasons, finding a Fellow prior to submitting an application could be tricky for some organisations. However, the nominated Fellow, that selected individual person, is ultimately what the scheme is all about so without that information it’s pretty impossible for our assessors to score them accurately.

For this reason, a significant part of the application form is about that person and understanding how the organisation might be able to help their specific needs. So if an organisation does want to apply under the scheme, they will already have had to select a Fellow – we can’t make exceptions to that.

When it comes to finding a Fellow, we don’t insist that a formal recruitment process is carried out if that’s just going to take too long or isn’t suitable but we do ask that organisations ensure that the person is selected in a way that is fair and transparent.


4.    We’d like to pay the Fellow for the work they carry out with us through the Fellowship.

We like that organisations are asking us this, we really do, however the Fellowship is exactly that – a Fellowship. It’s not a job. The grant is there to allow that individual to be able to take up the Fellowship within an organisation as part of their professional development.

Of course we don’t want anyone to be significantly out of pocket, or even unable to undertake the Fellowship because they can’t afford it but the grant is not to be used as a wage. With this in mind, when it comes to the Fellowship budget we’re looking for a significant portion to be set aside to support the Fellow in order to allow them to carry out the Fellowship. This should be allocated to the Fellow as per diems, travel costs, accommodation costs etc.


5.    We keep failing the Eligibility Quiz. We’ve read the Terms & Conditions but we can’t get through the next stage. There must be some mistake.

We would suggest that you read the Terms & Conditions again.

Currently, the most common question that makes an organisation ineligible is ‘Has the Fellow ever undertaken paid work for the organisation before?’ The answer to this question should be NO. The Fellow might have undertaken voluntary work for the organisation before, or carried out a work experience placement for example where they received expenses – in fact we anticipate that this might be quite common, that’s fine – but they should not have been paid by the organisation for any work done before the Fellowship.


These are just the most common questions we’ve had so far, but there’s plenty more information in the Music Fellowships FAQs for you to digest.

And remember, the deadline for applications is the 15th October but you must send your eligibility documentation to us by 5pm on the 21st September or your application form won’t be assessed. We need both your application form and the eligibility documentation for your application to be counted.

 

It’s not easy to find the support - financial or pastoral - to create art in the community, so I feel equally fortunate to be part of a team of brilliant people at Awards for Young Musicians (AYM).

AYM was founded in 1998 through the legacy of Robert Lewin, a man who left an extraordinary collection of instruments in his will, which were by his request sold to create an endowment fund to help support the education and development of the UK's most talented young musicians.


How AYM can help

AYM run an annual Awards programme for young instrumentalists aged between 5 and 18. Individual awards range between £200 and £2,000, totaling a minimum of £50,000 per year.

We support all instrumentalists making music in any genre but unfortunately we don’t support singers. However, we’ve compiled a helpful list of places where you might wish to apply for other kinds of funding on our website.

Our Awards can help with costs including:
•    Buying or hiring a musical instrument
•    Music lessons
•    Weekend music schools
•    Music courses
•    Orchestra fees
•    Travel


The application process

We have an open application process and once a year musicians and their families have the chance to apply for a grant to help towards the cost of music education, purchase of instruments, school fees and other forms of support, such as travel. Our next round of applications will close on 15 March 2013 so there is still plenty of time for young musicians to apply for a grant.

Our key criteria for instrumentalists are; financial need and exceptional musical talent. Applicants will need to:
•    Show evidence of their financial need
•    Have ideally achieved a distinction in their last music exam – or, if they haven’t taken exams, show evidence of this level of ability
•    Be recommended by their music teacher

Our expert panel of adjudicators work hard to ensure that applicants with both identifiable talent and the most potential have the opportunity to demonstrate their playing skills through an audition.

Auditions take place in London every Spring. This process helps us to determine the highest level of award and potentially create an additional tailored package of special support, because the panel looks at the whole picture, including personal circumstances, teaching and progression, as well as the narrative about the applicants’ musical development.”


Example of a past winner

Jay, a 14 year old from Manchester, won the annual AYM Edith Hemingway Memorial Award, which AYM gives to the most promising musician from the north-west of England. Gary Crosby, the internationally acclaimed artistic director of Tomorrow’s Warriors, a jazz development organisation that’s been working in partnership with AYM and was an adjudicator at Jay’s audition was so impressed by him that he went out and found a saxophone of much higher quality than the instrument Jay originally applied for funding for. Yamaha, one of our partners, agreed to supply the sax at a considerably reduced rate. Gary also arranged a masterclass for Jay with the renowned saxophonist Denys Baptiste at a famous London Jazz venue.

In Jay’s own words: “It is a great honour that AYM decided that I was worthy of receiving such an award. It helps me believe in my own abilities and strengthens my belief that I can become a great musician. Playing the saxophone has become a great source of joy in my life. Receiving this award for doing something I love is unbelievable.”


For full details about Awards for Young Musicians please visit their website or contact Caroline Harvie, AYM Awards Administrator via email on caroline.harvie@a-y-m.org.uk

Abimaro and the Free received funding through Grants for the arts

Abimaro is a singer/songwriter who earlier this year was awarded a grant for a mini-tour of East London coffee shops. You can find out more about her experience in this video.

Don’t be daunted by the amount of information about the scheme as it’s fairly digestible, and definitely worth reading before you put in an application. I would also strongly suggest running your ideas past the very helpful and knowledgeable Grants for the arts Enquiry Team on 0845 300 6200. While you’re at it, see if you can find out the name of your nearest regional Relationship Manager.

Arts Council Relationship Managers are based across England in the Regional offices and we can help advise and support you as you make your application to Arts Council. These are eventually assessed by our central office in Manchester but Relationship Managers are given the opportunity to make additional comments and recommendations as part of the assessment process. So it’s well worth getting to know your local Relationship Manager. The best thing you can do to ensure success for your application is to get as much advice and support as possible from us as you write it. I am always amazed when I see applicants who haven’t taken that opportunity.

We’ll look forward to hearing from you soon!”


Check out all the information on the Arts Council’s website.

We asked her to tell us more about what’s on offer:


Tell us about the Music Fellowships scheme
The Music Fellowships scheme is our opportunity to support talented individuals, or Fellows, in the early stages of their professional music careers. The Fellowship will help people to nurture and develop their creative skills through bespoke placements within existing organisations.

So what is PAF offering?
There are up to 20 grants of £10,000 available to organisations who are looking to take on a Fellow, to cover the costs of offering the opportunity. So whether it’s to pay for training, the hiring of specific equipment or expenses, the grant is there to fund the Fellow’s activities within the organisation.

And what types of organisations can apply?
A whole variety of organisations will be able to apply! Music charities, music festivals, venues, agencies, recording studios, record labels and professional performing groups like orchestras or choirs are all eligible. Music doesn’t have to be the sole emphasis of the organisation, so long as the Fellowship’s focus is music, they can still apply.

What is a Fellow?
A Fellow is an individual who is beginning to form a career within the music industry. They can be anything from musicians, composers or songwriters to producers, conductors or programmers and they can specialise in any form of music.

How should an organisation interested in the scheme find a suitable candidate?
There are two ways really. Firstly, an organisation may already have a few suitable candidates in mind, perhaps those whose work they have seen or heard elsewhere.  However, a Fellow can’t have had carried out any paid work with the organisation previously. Alternatively, an organisation can hold their own application process to find their Fellow. Either way, the process of finding that person should be transparent and fair. It’s also worth keeping in mind that, unlike last year, organisations must have chosen their candidate at the point of applying.

Why can’t Fellows apply independently of an organisation?
We have directly funded individuals in the past but with the Fellowship schemes, we wanted to support them in a different way. By awarding grants to organisations, the chosen Fellows will gain access to resources they wouldn’t have otherwise. The experience will be tailored to them specifically and give them the benefit and support of all aspects of the organisation from mentoring, performance opportunities, training plus access to equipment, space and even audiences. However as an individual we would encourage you to approach suitable organisations, informing them of the scheme and presenting yourself as a potential candidate.

So the grant can’t be used to cover tuition fees?
I’m afraid not. The grant is to cover the cost of the Fellowship placement only. However the Fellowship could involve individual training opportunities run by the the organisations’ staff and/or visiting artists for instance.

How long is the Fellowship?
Every Fellowship will be different – that’s the best thing about this scheme, it’s flexible. A Fellow could work towards a specific event where an intensive four month placement would be ideal. However others may find a part time placement is more appropriate for the Fellow to develop their skills set over a longer period of time. As long as it takes place between 1st February 2013 and 31st January 2014, the length of the Fellowship should suit the activities being undertaken.

Tell us how the application process works.
First, have a read of the Terms & Conditions and FAQs to double check your organisation is eligible. Then you need to find your Fellow. Once you have done that, you will need to pass an online eligibility quiz and send some documentation to us as proof of your eligibility. You can then access the application form and submit it to us.

Remind us, when can applicants apply?
Applications will open at 10am on 13th August and will close either at 5pm on 15th October OR once we have received 100 applications. The deadline for sending us your proof of eligibility documentation is 21st September.

We will also have the application form available for you to download as soon as we can in advance of the opening date though so that you can begin drafting your responses.


Thank you Sally!

Music companies, organisations, venues and festivals from across the UK will need to have a Fellow in mind when they apply so we asked Marie McCluskey MBE, the Artistic Director at Swindon Dance, what her experience has been since receiving a Dance Fellowship in 2011.

Marie McCluskey smiling with choreographer Fellow James Wilton. Photographer: Jeremy Freedman

How did you go about finding your Dance Fellow, James Wilton?
It was quite an organic process; Swindon Dance is always on the lookout for new dance talent, especially choreographers and companies. I had started to pick up on James’ name and reputation from various sources and partner producers and finally met him through a meeting set up by Ron McAlistair at South Hill Park to explore the possibility of a joined up approach to nurturing James’ work and company development. The runes were stacking up and so by the time the opportunity to apply for the Dance Fellowship came along it seemed like a fortuitous next step and I approached James with a view to nominating him.

How did you come to decide on the structure of the Fellowship?
Swindon Dance has for many years offered a range of Associate Artist opportunities of varying lengths to choreographers – the PAF application process and guidelines encouraged me to revisit previous frameworks and, following initial discussions with James, to rework one to suit Swindon Dance, James and the Fund’s requirements.

How collaborative was the process? How much involvement did you have will your Fellow?
I think we had just the right amount of time and collaborative working together. James is at an exciting point in his development as a choreographer and of James Wilton Dance Company; his work is generating a real demand. In addition he is proactively developing new links all the time and so we worked in a flexible way in order for him to fulfil his commitments at Swindon Dance whilst also responding to new opportunities .We used a mentoring process to agree upon these choices – both myself and Sue Davies (freelance dance consultant) are working with James as mentors.

What is the plan for the final performance or experience?
James has created a 15 minute solo as part of his Fellowship and this will be performed on November 30th in Swindon Dance Studio Theatre.  This will be part of an evening called Simply Solo – which will present solos created by four different choreographers and followed by a facilitated Q&A which will look at the solo form in dance and how and why each choreographer has been inspired to make and develop their solo.

Have you had to adapt parts of the original plan?
Yes – that was the realisation / discovery that we made – The PAF funding gave James and Swindon Dance the opportunity to respond flexibly to certain new opportunities or changes in creative ideas. For example, James initially thought he would make a new group piece as part of his Fellowship. In the end he realised he wanted to work in a more reflective and rigorous way with a solo performer and the time and space he had (a luxury for a choreographer) meant that he could engage in meaningful research and development  as opposed to meeting a deadline for a finished piece e.g. process led versus product led. Also we changed some initial planned activity in Swindon to enable James to take up exciting opportunities e.g. performance in Dies De Danza in Barcelona.

What has been the highlight of working with James so far?
The fresh energy and ideas he has brought to Swindon Dance – a ‘get up and go now’ attitude and sharing risks. For example he decided at quite short notice to change the layout of his performance at Swindon Dance – the right decision which resulted in a fantastic evening of dynamic dance – and threw a complete new perspective on his work. It is refreshing to witness his ‘nothing is a problem’ approach to his work and to solving problems through a creative approach. James also encouraged (politely) that we engage more fully in social networking and was confident in making suggestions to us too.

Any final bits of advice for an organisation thinking of taking on a Fellow?
Make time to listen to your Fellow – they have the fingers on the pulse of the future! Build in some flexibility to respond to creative twists and turns as they emerge. Do have an agreement and budget and make sure you review them both during the placement.

Would you apply for the scheme again?
Yes it has been an amazing scheme for dance – commissions for chorographers and the time to enable a rigorous period of process driven research and development are a luxury in today’s world, especially time for reflection!  I sense that the PAF Fellowship provided James with the space and funding to begin planning his future pathways and for personal and choreographic reflection and growth.

Thank you Marie for the insight!

More information about the Music Fellowship scheme is nowavailable  on our website where you can read the Terms and Conditions and FAQs. And you can also  learn more about the Dance Fellowship scheme here.

"Getting the most out of the process
Whilst commissioning can happen in a ‘vacuum’, remote from the life of the group, this doesn’t have to be the case. The process of building a relationship with the composer can apply not just to the group, but also to your audience and potential audience. Ask your members to write a blog about the workshop process, or get the music director to write about the choosing of the composer. Invite the composer to meet with and talk to your audience from the outset. Your audience will never get the chance to meet JS Bach, but they can meet your composer and find out what makes her tick.

Be clear about your expectations for different parts of the process. The composer may want to try things out, asking the group to do things you haven’t done before. This part of a process doesn’t have to be about success or failure, but about discovery. The only failure here is if the group is not open-minded about the process. Make sure to build in evaluation as you go along, especially through close contact between the music director and your chosen composer.

With the launch of the BBC Performing Arts Fund’s Community Music scheme, there’s never been a better time to commission music tailor-made for your group. Nevertheless, this isn’t the only means of financing your new piece. Commissioning funds are available from the PRS for Music Foundation, from Arts Council England, and from several trusts and foundations. Equally, you could invite your audience, members and past members to contribute using one of the ‘crowd funding’ websites, or you could commission a piece jointly with one or more other similar groups. This is a journey with fares to meet most budgets.

Now we’ve covered the basics, I can let you in on the most precious secret of this magical mystery tour. It’s not a round trip, or at least it shouldn’t be. When you’ve finished the process and given the premiere, you should find that you don’t end up where you started from: those returning from an adventure listen to their world with new ears."

Ed McKeon, Co-Director of Third Ear Music, whose symposium ‘Commissioning and Patronage in a Digital Age’ runs at Southbank Centre, London, on 13 July 2012.

Useful links

PRS for Music Foundation
Information on funding and on composers

Meet the Composer (USA)
(USA) guide to commissioning

 

"In the north-west town where I grew up there was a small travel agent that used to advertise ‘mystery tours’ by coach. People would book without knowing the destination, ready to enjoy the ride, the company, and the surprise. Of course, the travel agent knew his market, and the tour was sure to end somewhere they would enjoy. The tours worked because they were built on trust; this is what good commissioning is like.
 

Why Commission?

There are many reasons why the journey is worth the effort:

·          Your group may benefit from the adventure, a departure from the still waters of regular habits and routine. If you never leave home, all you know of the world may be what you hear on the radio, see on TV, or hear told by others who have ventured out.

·          A commission builds a special sense of anticipation, with the premiere as an opportunity to show off your group to its best: a new work should play to your strengths, and unlike standard repertoire there is no benchmark performance for it other than the one you give. Local media – as well as your audiences – can pick up on the buzz and excitement.

·          If you have an unusual line-up, you may find playing a piece tailored for you – rather than an arrangement of something else – much more satisfying. There’s a limit to how good you can look in second-hand clothes.

·          Working with a composer opens up windows into their creative process that can give fresh insights into your regular repertoire. What’s more, you can be part of that creative process. You may not drive the bus, but you could help decorate it, and you might specify a stop off at a country pub with a good view.

As with any adventure, this is a journey you have to want to take. There’s no point asking to get off half way through. Above all, you have to build trust with the composer: as with a road trip, there’s nothing worse than backseat drivers and multiple map-readers!"



Part 2 of Ed’s three-part blog series on commissioning music will be focusing on the key principles and practicalities of the process, so watch this space!

Photographer - Samuel Dore

Bethan Kendrick, one of the company dancers who participated in the project, shares her story:

“For the workshop we worked with Luke Pell. He was from Candoco Dance Company and the workshop was based on photographs. It was interesting and I enjoyed it. We had to close our eyes to think about our dreams and we had to say how it felt inside yourself. Then we had to hold something and say what it feels like. Then we looked at photographs and described our photos and we had to use different journeys to describe our stories and by travelling from one side of the room to the other. We had to use torches with our journey to describe our story.

For the next workshop we worked with a choreographer called Rosemary Butcher and it was based on printing your bodies into the floor. It was interesting and it was good. We lied down on the floor thinking about how you roll, and rolled back into place. We then printed our body into the floor using different levels and also by connecting with another person. Then we did drawings. We had to draw the view from our own bedroom windows and we used it in the space and did improvisations. We used different journeys.

For the clowning workshop we worked with Jaya and the workshop was based on clowning ideas. It was very interesting and very funny. We walked around when using our voices and we used different activities like using hula hoops and buckets and we had to wear red noses - that was funny.

In another workshop, we worked with Daniel Weaver and the workshop was based on music and he likes music and it was good. I enjoyed it. We warmed up our voices and played a game of Chinese whispers and then we looked at different sounds and we looked at different technology objects and we listened to them and then we started to improvise with the objects, it was good.

I liked working with Samuel Dore the filmmaker, he is brilliant. I liked being on camera and I thought it was good. The lighting was nice and it helped me focus a lot. I liked working with Samuel, he is very good at filming and he is fantastic.

I found filming interesting and it was good. I felt happy and confident. I enjoyed filming - it was a great experience for me. I thought filming was brilliant. And I am glad I did it. Filming was a great success and it was fantastic.”

 

“When I started the Fellowship with the company, we had begun rehearsals for Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Pigs as well as for The Tempest. Little Red Riding Hood is a completely new production and we started with creative work to build on each character. Darius (Artistic Director) had a strong idea of what he wanted and everyone was free to chip in with suggestions on steps, shapes and ways of moving. I felt it made the end product very rich, with so many different inputs, which resulted in a twisted Grimm Brother’s style piece.


On the 5th May, the opening night for the piece, we were accompanied by the Welsh Symphony Orchestra, which was very exciting. The last week before the opening night was busy, and there was plenty to be nervous about. There were ups and downs in the run up but, when it was finally show-time, it couldn’t have gone better. I find that the more you put in to what you do, the more you enjoy it. It is now onwards and upwards, and taking the production on tour, along with The Tempest.

Looking back at the start of this process, I realised how much I needed to improve. Darius and Amy (Assistant Artistic Director) were giving me lots of corrections; I’m very lucky, most companies just let you get on with it, so there’s not much time for improvement. At the end of each week I felt I had progressed. When it comes to class each morning and time to focus on technique, I have good days and bad days, and there’s not much predicting what each day is going to be like. For some reason, no matter how hard you will it to, your body just won’t do what you want it to! But Darius and Amy are very patient with their corrections. Improvement requires patience and concentration on the right areas when you are working. My advice would be to stay focused and single-minded on corrections. Even when you feel it’s not working, still keep that in mind and it will, slowly but surely, get into your muscle memory.

Choreography and creative work have not been my strongest areas so I was slightly uneasy before we started creating Red Riding Hood, but I found Darius very encouraging. This made me feel more open to trying new things. For example, one of our tasks was to create a motif of movement for the opening scene, when we are in a forest. Amy and Darius were clear about what they wanted which was very helpful.

In the past I have experienced vague instructions about creative work, or simply been told to choreograph something. I think if you are ever in that kind of situation (in an audition, workshop etc.) where you have been given little inspiration, create your own! Pick something that you like, for example a book or a cartoon character you could emulate, an object you could base the movement around or an emotion or motive that could inspire you.  If you choose movement and ideas you like, it will give you confidence, and which will result in something you can be proud of.

Up until now, I never really got the knack of creative work. I still have much to learn and most of it is probably experience and confidence, but I have really started to enjoy thinking up and playing around with different ideas. I think I have taken a big step forward.

Three or four weeks into rehearsals Donald Sturrock, author of Roald Dahl’s biography and writer of our narration for Red Riding Hood, came to watch the rehearsals. It was exciting to meet him; he had great enthusiasm for what we were doing and has a clever, dry sense of humour. I enjoyed showing Donald what we had made, and was curious to find out what he thought of it. He also came to the opening night on 5th May; I hope it was exciting for him to watch the end result after having a glimpse into the creation of it.

More recently, we have been informed of the educational work that we will undertake throughout the year. We will be working alongside Rubicon, who teach community dance, and using all kinds of styles, we will work in schools and hospitals with a variety of people, from those with disabilities to the young and the elderly. We will also be shadowing a teacher in some of their classes to learn how to work in these environments. I can’t wait to see what it’s like and hope it will open my eyes to the wider dancing world.

On 22nd April I attended a catch-up meeting with other Dance Fellowship winners, where we all shared what we have been up to. We were also given training in how to hold workshops and carry out community projects. I was overwhelmed with the experiences everyone shared, and that the people in the room brought dance to the lives of children who suffered from learning disabilities or domestic abuse. The workshops I will be taking part in with Ballet Cymru will be for children who want to dance, whereas the role of encouraging people who do not see dance as an outlet for themselves would be very different challenge from my perspective. When you are in a company it is easy to create a bubble around yourself and forget about everything else that is going on, so I definitely learnt a lot about the wider world of dance from that meeting.

I feel so lucky to be part of this company and am enjoying this production so much. I am enormously grateful to the Performing Arts Fund for making this possible.”


All tour dates are available on the Ballet Cymru website.

Here at The Fund we are not currently covering the costs of tuition fees, but we thought we could give you some pointers by providing a few links to grant-making organisations and search sites that could potentially assist in your financial situations. Please find further information by clicking on the links below:

Dance and Drama Awards
A government-funded scholarship awarded through a select number of schools to students demonstrating a high standard of talent and skills

The Fenton Arts Trust
Providing grants and scholarships each year for between 25 and 30 artists just starting out in their careers

The South Square Trust
For individuals wanting to study the Arts, applications are currently closed but will open again between January and April 2013

For a more general search into funding organisations, try out:
Funding Central
A search engine with access to numerous funding organisations details and other financial resources

Drama UK
A useful list for continuing your research on organisations offering advice and funding.

If you’re not considering applying to a school or college this year but may do in the future, take a look at previous winner Chris Cook’s blog on tips for auditioning here

Groups applying under the scheme may have undertaken a commission in the past, but many groups will be looking to go through the process for the very first time. With this in mind, we asked Making Music to give us some tips on the process.

If you’re from a music group that wants to have creative input in the music it performs, while also experiencing the thrill of staging a world premiere, then commissioning a new piece of music might be for you. And with the BBC Performing Arts Fund offering extensive funding opportunities to community music groups, there’s never been a better time to give it a try.

As the UK’s number one organisation for voluntary music, Making Music has extensive experience in commissioning new music to be performed by our member groups (such as Jubilate! Jubilee! which Paul Mealor is writing for Making Music choirs in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee). We also provide our members with guidance and assistance when they want to commission new music themselves.

We wanted to share some of our expertise with you, and have provided a few pointers to help make sure your commission goes off with a bang.

Write a clear brief
Start by deciding what it is you want from the piece – the more clearly your brief reflects what you want, the more likely it is you’ll be happy with the finished piece. This may involve making decisions about things like what instruments are required, the duration of the piece, or whether soloists should be used. Should you specify a theme (particularly if your piece is being commissioned to mark a specific occasion)? Remember, some composers will be more open to suggestions than others.

Choose the right composer
Unless you already have someone in mind, selecting your composer can be the most difficult part of the process, and it’s worth spending time to make sure you choose the right person.

The first decision is whether you want to work with an experienced composer, who will have a track record but is likely to cost more, or someone less established, who may well be able to commit more time and effort to your project. Try contacting BASCA or Sound and Music for a list of potential composers. Alternatively, you could stage a competition for local composers to write a piece for your group, or advertise in a conservatoire or university music department.

Once you’ve got a composer in mind, be sure to invite them to a rehearsal or one of your concerts. Discuss with them exactly what you want from the piece, and don't commit yourself until you have agreed what both sides want out of the commissioning process and have established a good relationship with the composer.

Have a contract in place
It is very important that you have a formal contract or exchange of letters
with the composer whom you are commissioning. If you are working via a publisher, they will almost certainly issue you with a contract, which you may want to ask a lawyer to examine. If not, make sure your contract includes clauses about the deadline and fees, as well as who will possess the rights to the new piece.

Market your premiere concert
Drumming up interest in your premiere concert is a crucial part of the commissioning process, and there are some simple steps to ensuring you have a good turnout:

• Think about the whole programme. Including a well-known work alongside your new one is a good way of encouraging audiences to attend.
• Produce engaging publicity materials, stressing the uniqueness of the event and avoiding overly technical language.
• Try listing your concert in other publications.
• Making Music members can also promote their concerts on our events calendar.


What next?
It unfortunately happens that, when a group has commissioned an exciting new piece of music, it often fades into obscurity after its first performance. There are a few easy ways to ensure a piece has a life after its premiere:

• Providing the work is a success, plan repeat performances yourself, which will help to establish it in the repertoire.
• You could also hire it out to other groups using Making Music’s Music Bank.
• If the rights are held by the composer or publisher, you could encourage other groups to hire it from them.
• If the work is particularly exciting and spectacular, ensure that the composer and publisher are aware of your enthusiasm, as they will be able to use your quotations and comments in their marketing literature.

If you’d like some inspiration from other groups that have successfully commissioned new music, check out the blog for our Adopt a Composer scheme, which pairs member groups with up-and-coming composers (run in partnership with the PRS Foundation and Sound and Music).

Taken from the Making Music information sheet, ‘How to Commission New Music’, available only to Making Music members. To find out more, visit their website.

 

Another interesting part of La Nuit that makes it so special is its live element. Each show is never exactly the same and you never really know what to expect before you begin. As a performer this is such an amazing experience as it makes it so real, true and uncontrived. 

Following La Nuit I was an understudy for Underneath the Floorboards. Underneath the Floorboards is a children’s show for the under 5’s that tells the story of a young boy called John who, when moving house, finds himself lost in a magical world underneath his floorboards. While down there he meets his trusty companions Fawn, Guffy and Mimic who help and guide him back to his bedroom. The show is very similar to La Nuit in the sense that it is totally interactive. The children in the audience are allowed to wander the space amongst the performers and really immerse themselves in the story and the magical world created by Liv.

I worked as an understudy on this tour having to learn both the roles of John and Guffy – who I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to perform as in Bath. I realised when watching the show and then performing it that it’s so much more complicated and skilled than you’d first expect. The energy has to be maintained throughout and nothing can be faked as you quickly realise that if it drops then the illusion of a magical world drops with it and you quickly become people moving around in funny suits as opposed to embodying this mythical creature or being.

The children are also in the space throughout so you have to concentrate extra hard and be careful not to bump or bang into any of them. In the same vein, the size of the movement is important. If it becomes too big or sharp then there’s a danger that it could frighten the children and put them off coming into the space; it has to be more detailed and considered.

My experience with balletLORENT so far then has been one of two extremes starting with the emotional rollercoaster that is La Nuit to the charming magic of Underneath the Floorboards. I’ve learnt so much so far and hope to carry on with the company for as long as possible. It really is a special place to work and a special bunch of people to spend time with."

Tell us about the Community Music scheme in the time it takes us to find the BBC Performing Arts Fund website

It’s a funding scheme for groups of eight or more music making individuals to apply for money to run a project. We want to help make things happen that they possibly wouldn’t otherwise get off the ground – did I do it?

Yes! On the website it says that the Community Music scheme wants to support projects that have a benefit to the wider community. What do you mean by that?

Projects that will not only include and inspire its group members but also include and inspire others in some way too. For example, a group who meet in someone’s garage to jam once a week might have a great time together; but we want them to step out of their comfort zone, throw open the garage doors and perform to the whole street!

We encourage applicants to look at partnerships, training, performing and encouraging greater participation from its members and audiences.

Why do you want to fund Community Groups? Wouldn’t it be more fun to fund the next big solo talent?

Big solo talent has to start somewhere and amateur groups are the breeding ground for all types of music. Group participation in music is a really fun way of bringing people together to have a go no matter what experience or skill they have.  We want to challenge those groups to turn their ambition buttons up to 11 and push beyond their comfort zone!

We will be funding talented individuals through our Music Fellowships scheme  later on in the year.

How much can groups apply for through the Community Music scheme?

There are two options, the first is to apply for up to £5,000 for a development project and the second is to apply for up to £10,000 for a development project which includes the commission and performance of a new piece of music.

That’s a lot of money.

Yes, but we don’t expect people to apply only for £5,000 or 10,000 – each application will involve a project with its own thought through budget. Applicants could apply for just £500 if that’s what they need to do their project.

What project can you think of that might only need £500?

Sometimes all a group needs is a bit of specialist training to get them started on something new.  Our funding could pay for a vocal coach to come and work with a choir to try out a new technique.  It might not pay for Gareth Malone but there are many other experienced coaches out there they could afford.  Or perhaps a group wants to rent a recording studio for an afternoon to capture something which sounds a bit more professional to load onto YouTube.

When you say ‘music’ what do you mean?

Anything that involves making a tune! That could be bell ringing or a recorder group or a group of Irish fiddlers! Music means so many things to so many people – it’s up to the group to make their case in their application to us. We will only fund music making and performing groups though, not music appreciation societies or fan clubs, that’s not what we’re about.

What if a group have never performed before, would they be able to apply? What if they are really terrible!?

It doesn’t matter what level you are at now – what we want to see is that you have the ambition to do something different and you know how you want to do it.  As long as the group has been in existence for at least 2 years, all that matters is that you and your group are planning to improve yourselves in some way, and go on to the next level. 

Tell us how the application process works.

Applications for the scheme will open at 10am on 21st May 2012, and close either at 5pm on

29th June 2012 or when we have received the first 500 eligible applications whichever is the soonest. This is because the BBC Performing Arts Fund is a small team and we have a limited amount of funding to offer, so we can’t throw open the doors for too long.

Describe your dream application; what do you want to see?

What I’m really looking forward to is seeing a variety of clever, developmental applications for projects that will take place across the country and result in larger music making groups performing more and creating lots of new music together. 

We have run schemes like this before and you can’t imagine the range of creative and wonderful projects that people out there come up with, it’s amazing. I do however want to encourage applicants to give us as much information as possible though, so that when our assessors read their application they really understand the project and can get a real flavour of it from what’s described in the form.

On a personal level and as I come from a jazz background,  I would like to see more groups try out jazz improvisation because I think it is really fun, and very challenging. I suppose I would love to see a community big band apply to bring in a professional jazz musician to work with them and create a new piece of music especially for them, their instruments, and their standard. They would perform their debut to the public, perhaps joining forces with another jazz band for the occasion with the hope that this could lead to more joint projects in future.

Remind us, when can applicants apply?

From Monday 21st May! Put it in your diary and remember to apply without delay, as we’ll close applications either at 5pm on 29th June 2012 or when we have received the first 500 eligible applications, whichever is the soonest.


Thanks Kate!

“I am well into my Dance Producer Fellowship at ADAD. There is a buzz of dance throughout the office and the building (we sit next to Dance UK and the Urdang Academy), as the hallways are usually full of students stretching, warming their vocal chords, or teachers and visitors of musical theatre.

As the Assistant Producer, my main role is to support the planning of a project called Re:Generation 2012  – a major gathering of artists, academics and students focused on shaping the future of dance of the African Diaspora. The three day event, which will be hosted at The Place in London, will include performances, talks, discussions and dance workshops. With delegate numbers likely to reach 100, and with such an enlightening, informative and interesting programme, I have had to ensure that ADAD is moving towards the same goal as any other potential partners.

 

To manage this, I have had to pull apart the three day schedule, and rebuild the programme under prioritised headings. The planning so far has consisted of firming up the programme, sending out invitations and applying for funding which we’re currently awaiting a decision for.

I have a big red file that sits on the desk which houses the beginnings of;

1.    The programme
          a.    Proposed schedule
          b.    Breakdown of activity
2.    Finances
          a.    Budget
          b.    Questions on funding / income
3.    Logistics
          a.    Notes on the venue
4.    Marketing
          a.    Notes on branding
          b.    Merchandise
5.    Data analysis
          a.    Previous attendance reports
          b.    Notes on performance indicators
6.    Planning / meeting notes
7.    AOB

This has led to me thinking about the best advice I would offer to other producers: work with a budget that is transparent, self-explanatory and does not shy away from where savings can be made, but instead shows a complete picture of what the project will cost. 

My motto is that you need to be aware of your funding sources and any restrictions on spend, monitoring and follow up reporting. Monies such as donations and in-kind support which can be quantified should be regarded as an added bonus and nothing but, for they cannot always be guaranteed!

Cultural influences from Gran Canaria

Outside of my work in the office, my enthusiasm for dance jetted me away to the sunnier climes of Gran Canaria and the festivities of the Las Palmas carnival in late February.

From the outset I thought it was bonkers!  The costumes had no consistency and I soon noticed that people wore their costumes for the entire day. I would see people dressed as animals, flamenco dancers, action heroes and Grimm’s Brothers fairy-tale characters casually walking down the street. Gradually it all began to make sense; the carnival is inclusive and moves with the times. It is dripping with tradition but allows for media, migrant cultures and global influences to be celebrated.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Las Palmas carnival. The welcoming environment, enthusiasm and vibrancy of the people created an infectious atmosphere, especially the live Afro Cuban Salsa and Afro Brazilian Samba music and dance of the day that so easily transcended into popular, digitally composed music by night.

It was amazing to see how the whole island got involved, from the youngest to the eldest member of the family. Such inclusivity is a particular memory that I have taken away. To me, this experience has reinforced the mission for Re:Generations – The Next Generation.

The event is still developing in size, reach and significance for 2012 and I can’t wait to see what it brings next."