Emily Peasgood is an Ivor Novello Award-winning composer and sound artist. She creates invitations to connect with people and places that are forgotten, overlooked, or surrounded by histories that can be remembered and celebrated through sound and music.

“I think life is bonkers and so short. This is a big part of my creative drive. I create work that encourages making the most of this moment or making people laugh. I am brimming with ideas and love creating things others would dismiss as bonkers”.

From graveyards to public lifts and rubber chickens, her work is diverse, exploring humour and the human condition in equal measure. Peasgood’s work often occurs in outdoor or publicly accessible places, underpinned by her desire to create inclusive music and art experiences.

“My practice is underpinned by celebrating the underdog. I grew up in Grimsby, a post-industrial depression town. My family were ex-fishermen and dock workers. We are working class, and music and art weren’t a luxury we could afford; it wasn’t for people like us. I was fortunate to receive support to study music, but my early experiences drive how I work today.”

With a a PhD in Creating Accessible and Inclusive Musical Artworks in Communities, Emily has created 19 artworks in seven years that use “experimental approaches to engage communities of people who feel the way I used to about art”. Working at the intersection of music, sound, art and tech, Emily’s creative output includes installation, sculpture, field recording, archive creation, graphic scores, and performance, often developing bespoke technical solutions.

Emily has created work for organisations including The Royal Parks, The British Library, Folkestone Triennial, Illuminate Productions, Tate Modern and Turner Contemporary. Her work has been experienced in trains, public lifts, graveyards and even an ancient fort.

She has been nominated for an Ivor Novello Award 8 times in community engagement and sonic art categories, winning in 2018 with Halfway To Heaven. She is a Guildhall School of Music and Drama professor, teaching field recording, sonic art, and electronic music composition, and she leads a community choir and community samba band.

Biography by Music Patron (2024).