PRS for Music Foundation announces the latest organisations and music groups to receive funding through Beyond Borders

25 November 2015 - Press release

PRS for Music Foundation today announces the UK and Ireland based organisations and music groups receiving funding through the co-commissioning and touring programme Beyond Borders are: 

·         9Bach and Twelfth Day - UK tour of ‘Tincian’ which won best album at the 2014 BBC Radio 2 Folk awards

·         AC Projects and Counterflows – Creation and performance of ‘Mythos of Violins’ by composers Angharad Davies and Laura Cannell which investigates the notion of place.

·         Atlantic Arc Orchestra and Duncairn Centre – Drawing upon the shared musical heritage of the Atlantic Arc region the project will feature musicians & singers from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany & Galicia and will be co-produced by Irish language singer Pauline Scanlon.

·         Cryptic and Sanford Museum – UK tour of ‘Oscillon’, Mark Lyke’s sonic responses and visualisations to Ben F Laposky’s ground-breaking 1950’s art works “Oscillon”.

·         Earagail – A new collaboration by artists Erland Cooper, Hannah Peel, Michael Keeney and Tommy McLaughlin to be performed at 3 UK/Irish festivals.

·         Gould Piano Trio – New commission by British composer, Mark Simpson to be the centre-piece of the Trio’s 25 anniversary and performed across the UK.

·         Edinburgh International Festival, Barbican Centre, Sage Gateshead, Lepus Productions and Opera North – Martin Green’s new production ‘Flit’ combining live music and animation which reflect on first hand stories of migration.

·         Quercus Ensemble and Acoustronic – UK tour of 'NonZeroSum' by Frank Lyons for eight musicians exploring innovative ways to combine acoustic and electronic instruments played by disabled and non-disabled performers.

·         Songs of Seperation Ensemble – A collective of 10 female English and Scottish folk musicians will create and tour the UK with music exploring the theme of ‘separation’, from the personal to the political, the economic to the environmental.

Beyond Borders was established in 2010 to support high quality co-commissions and tours, stimulating collaboration between composers, performance groups and music organisations across the four different UK countries and, since 2014, the Republic of Ireland too.

Previous Beyond Borders successes have included, Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival commission of the critically acclaimed and Mercury-nominated Field Music to compose and tour a new cinematic score to accompany a seminal silent documentary film, ‘Drifters’, by John Grierson, and Roger Steptoe’s collaboration with Welsh Chamber Orchestra on new musical settings for Shakespeare’s well-known sonnets during the playwright’s 450^th anniversary.

To find out more about the programme, please visit: http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/Partnerships/Flagship-Programmes/Beyond-Borders

PRS for Music Foundation’s Executive Director, Vanessa Reed says, “The latest round of Beyond Borders shows the strength and depth of high quality collaborations that are being forged between talented music creators and organisations from different parts of the UK and Ireland. I look forward to following the development of these co-commissions and tours which will be enjoyed by a fantastically broad range of audiences.” 

Creative Scotland’s Ian Smith, Head of Music, said, “These projects represent a rich and varied programme of works by talented artists, and experiencing them live will no doubt be an exciting prospect for audiences throughout the UK.  It is testament to the success of the Beyond Borders scheme that it brings together such a diverse range of music creators, organisations and audiences, and allows them to explore a breadth of musical cultures, styles and traditions.”

Arts Council of Ireland’sPaul Flynn Head of Traditional Arts said, “The range and quality of the recent musical projects funded through the Beyond Borders partnership represent the rich and diverse artistry that is found throughout these islands. The proposals and collaborations – from traditional to contemporary, classical and jazz – are of the highest standard and the Arts Council of Ireland is excited to be a part of this initiative.”

Arts Council of Wales David Alston Arts Director said, “Beyond Borders has been doing exactly what it says on the tin - taking music imaginatively across our countries and going beyond borders in a series of explorations of forms, talents and rich collaborations. We are delighted to play our part in making these artistic journeys possible and for them to meet with new and engaged audiences.

Arts Council Northern Ireland’s Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, commented; “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support this important artist development programme.  Beyond Borders is an outstanding opportunity for talented musicians from Northern Ireland to collaborate with other artists and organisations across the UK in new projects, gaining a platform for their music to tour and to be heard by new and wide-ranging audiences.”