Grants for disabled musicians and the chance for aspiring songwriters to enter a competition are two of the latest schemes unveiled as part of Kirklees Year of Music.
The grants will help disabled musicians take their music-making to another level while the song competition is looking for songwriters and composers who can capture Kirklees in its winter glory.
The grant money – up to £1,000 – can be used for things like rehearsal space, lessons, recording studio access and equipment to promote inclusivity and support artists at all stages of their music careers.
The project includes arts commissioning organisation Unlimited which commissions extraordinary work from disabled artists.
Unlimited senior producer Cat Sheridan said: “This is a great opportunity for early and mid-career artists to explore and experiment and we can’t wait to see what ideas come forward.”
The opportunity is open to disabled musicians or disabled-led organisations regularly working in or based in Kirklees. Successful applicants will not only receive funding but also gain access to the Unlimited Alumni, providing invaluable advisory services, networking opportunities and professional development resources.
The deadline for these micro-commissions is June 30 and you can see the full application details can be found at https://www.musicinkirklees.co.uk/en-UK/page/646ce5c9aeb1d927bb109cf4?count=24&sort=creationDate&reverse=true
The other scheme is Kirklees Year of Music and Dewsbury Taking the Lead launching a competition called Songs for the Season that will see the creation of a Winter Songbook for Kirklees. Anyone from across Kirklees can apply.
Songwriters and composers are invited to create an original winter-themed composition for the festive season that will be performed at a special concert in December as part of Kirklees Year of Music.
Open to all aged 14 or above with a connection to Kirklees through work, residence or study, Songs for the Season is looking for tunes between 2.5 and 5 minutes long which draw inspiration from Kirklees and the winter season. The winning selection will be decided by an impressive judging panel which includes world-touring saxophonist Ellie Sax, The Voice UK singer Rachel Modest and Head of Musica Kirklees, Thom Meredith, who will be retiring from the role in September to concentrate on freelance work.
Once selected, the top 10 winning compositions will undergo a professional arrangement and be performed at Dewsbury Town Hall on December 12. The compositions will also be compiled into a Winter Songbook which will be distributed to schools all across Kirklees.
Applications close on September 1 and you can see full application details at https://www.musicinkirklees.co.uk/en-UK/page/6479b6be4ff28a0d41137c65?count=24&sort=creationDate&reverse=true
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
