Opera North is seeking applications from music creators from the Global Majority working in any genre for its next Resonance residency programme.
Resonance was launched in 2017 to offer funding, space, time and technical support to professional Global Majority musicians and composers based in the north of England and the Midlands, as part of PRS Foundation’s nationwide Talent Development Partnership supported by PPL. In 2024-25, six successful artists will be invited into Opera North’s home in Leeds to develop new ideas, collaborate with performers from other disciplines, and take their work in new directions.
“I loved every minute of my Resonance residency. To be given the funding, time, and space to devote to creating new music was wonderful,” says singer-songwriter Satnam Galsian, who was awarded a residency in 2023/24. “Resonance is a great opportunity for artists from the Global Majority. As a South Asian woman, a single mother and someone over the age of 25, it’s sometimes difficult to find opportunities that suit my needs. I’m grateful to have been one of the Resonance artists for 2024.” During her residency, Satnam worked with a poet and two fellow musicians to create a feminist retelling of Mirza-Sahiban, a tragic love story from the Indian subcontinent.
Joining Satnam Galsian on this year’s judging panel will be fellow 2023/24 Resonance alumnus Rory A. Green. Together with Opera North’s Projects team, they will select six lead artists, each of whom will receive up to a week of free rehearsal space in central Leeds between November 2024 and March 2025, a grant of up to £4,000 to cover fees for those involved and other costs, and support and advice from technicians, producers and other specialists. There are also options for a work in progress performance and a short film to document the project.
Dominic Gray, Opera North Projects Director, commented: “We encourage all northern-based music-makers and composers from the Global Majority to consider applying for a Resonance residency. From exploring an exciting musical idea to telling a story in an innovative way while collaborating with other artists from across the creative spectrum, we are keen to help each person progress a project which is dear to their heart. It’s always a privilege for us to be some of the first people to see the outcome of our Resonance participants’ time with us – and we hope each residency will mark the beginning of a longstanding partnership with us.”
Many Resonance alumni have continued to work with Opera North. Music Director on the inaugural Resonance residency, Jasdeep Singh Degun, became the company’s first Artist-in Residence in 2022. His work with Opera North has included composing Arya, a sitar concerto for the Orchestra of Opera North, and being the composer and co-Music Director on the award-winning mainstage opera Orpheus. 2019 Resonance artist Nishla Smith is now the Programmer for the Howard Assembly Room and, earlier this year, Ladies of Midnight Blue performed A Love Revolution, the family-friendly show they had devised during their 2022 residency, on the Howard Assembly Room stage.
To apply, artists should complete the short form via the Opera North website by midnight on Monday 12 August 2024. Opera North is keen to attract the widest possible range of talented artists for the scheme, with applications from neurodivergent, D/deaf and Disabled artists actively welcomed. To this end, the entry form is available in alternative formats, and submissions can be accepted via audio or video.
The Resonance scheme has been enabled by Opera North’s membership of the PRS Foundation’s network of Talent Development Partners supported by PPL. The UK’s leading funder of new music and talent development, PRS Foundation supports organisations working at the frontline of talent development with a broad range of individual music creators. This reflects PRS Foundation’s commitment to supporting composers and songwriters of all backgrounds and genres, through direct investment or by helping organisations which nurture artists and promote their music. As a signatory of the Keychange initiative founded by PRS Foundation, Opera North is committed to a fair gender balance among recipients of its Resonance residencies.
