Call for Curators

Sound and Music seeks curators for the second edition of its series celebrating black composers and music creators based in the UK.

• Timeframe: December 2019 – January 2020

• Deadline for Applications: The deadline has now passed.

• Fee: up to £500 per project (additional support may be available – see below)

Sound and Music is seeking curators for the second edition of its series exploring and amplifying the work of black composers in the UK. The first edition, released digitally earlier this year, featured video work by composer Des Oliver and musician and researcher Clifton Harrison, addressing the complex interplay of identity, history and musical style for composers of colour today.

Applications are welcome from composers, writers, researchers and artists at any stage in their career. Sound and Music will assist with research, networks, proofreading and will offer general support throughout the project.

The project will consist of:

A minimum of 3 new pieces of content for the British Music Collection website. The content can take many possible forms: articles, video interviews, essay films, documentaries, podcasts, radio art, zines - we encourage you to think creatively about how these fascinating stories can be told.

This project brief is open and isn’t tied to any specific themes.

However, building on the success of the first edition, we’re particularly interested in proposals examining some of the following topics:

• Figures who are absent from dominant musical histories
• Technology and discourses of futurism
• The intersections of race with gender and sexuality in new music
• Composers and composition in the broadest sense: anyone creating new music, from contemporary classical or grime to sound art, pop, folk, techno, jazz and beyond.

The content will be published digitally here on the British Music Collection platform. In line with this, we are interested in approaches that reflect on the politics of archives, as well as the possibilities they contain for the future.

Some additional funding may be available to cover research trips to the Collection’s physical site at Heritage Quay, University of Huddersfield, or to other relevant archives. You can find out more about the British Music Collection here.

In addition, the content will be shared widely across Sound and Music’s channels. This project forms part of Sound and Music’s activity marking Black History Month.

Previous British Music Collection curation projects include:

• ‘Identity and the Anxiety of Influence’ a video series by Des Oliver exploring ideas of identity and the tensions of influences upon compositional activity

• ‘Identity & Aesthetic: Five British-Caribbean Composers’ A series of 5 video interviews by violist Clifton Harrison exploring the role of cultural identity in the aesthetic of 5 female British-Caribbean composers

• ‘Unpredictable Series’ a series of talking heads videos tracing the history of free improvisation in London and its contemporary context by Blanca Regina

Selection process:

A panel of Sound and Music staff will select 1-3 successful applicants.

Sound and Music is committed to encouraging diversity and eliminating discrimination in both its role as an employer and as a provider of opportunities and services. Sound and Music aims to create and promote a culture that respects and values individuals’ differences; that promotes dignity, equality, inclusion and diversity; and that encourages individuals to develop and maximise their true potential.

How to apply:

If you wish to apply, please complete the form or upload a video or audio application here:

Application Form   The deadline has now passed.

You will be asked to include:

• A description of your practice and previous experience (up to 200 words or 2 minutes video)

• An example of your work (articles, documentaries or other relevant content, in any format)

• A statement outlining your proposal, and stating why you think it meets the aims of our

   project (up to 500 words or 4 minutes video)

• You will also be asked to complete Sound and Music’s Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

If you have any questions or would like this document in another format, please contact Alex Noble, Programme Administrator on Alex.noble@soundandmusic.org