6 exceptional collaborative new music projects supported to tour across the UK and Republic of Ireland through PRS Foundation's Beyond Borders

20 December 2025 - Press release

 

PRS Foundation, together with Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland announce the UK and Ireland-based organisations, music groups and composers that will receive funding through the co-commissioning and touring programme Beyond Borders. The 6 exciting collaborative cross-border projects are:

• Brìghde Chaimbeul (Scotland) commissioned by Scottish Ensemble (Scotland) in collaboration with Eden Court (Scotland), and presenting partners Bristol Beacon (England), National Concert Hall (Republic of Ireland), and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (England), with further performances in Dundee and Edinburgh, to present an audio-visual musical experience combining smallpipes and strings, touring to venues in Scotland, England and Ireland.

• Elaine Mitchener (England), Linda Buckley (Republic of Ireland) and Kroot-Kärt Kaev (Estonia) commissioned by Spitalfields Music (England) in partnership with sound Festival (Scotland), New Music Dublin (Republic of Ireland) and Afekt (Estonia) to present "Europe 26" exploring European identity, 10 years after Brexit vote. Sung by Mimi Doulton.
• NikNak (England), Abi Asisa (England), Afromerm (England), Dali de Saint Paul (England), Kathy Hinde (England) and Lia Mazzari (England) commissioned by Outlands Network (England) in partnership with Moving On Music (Northern Ireland) and Ty Cerdd (Wales), Cryptic (Scotland) and Oram Awards (England) to present the "Oram/100+" a new commission of experimental music, strengthening advocacy and audiences for the artform across the UK.

• Sidiki Dembélé (England), commissioned by Sinfonia Cymru (Wales) in partnership with Djembe Kingdom (England), Musicians in Exile (Scotland) and Oasis One World Choir (Wales) to present "Yiriba" blending West African and Celtic folk music with European classical traditions, in a unifying, cross-cultural celebration.
  
  
• Stephen Davis (Northern Ireland) commissioned by Moving On Music (Northern Ireland) in partnership with Café OTO (England), Improvised Music Centre (Republic of Ireland) and Chapter (Wales) to present "Gleaming World", for new ensemble the Stephen Davis Unit.
  
  
• Xenia Pestova Bennet (Northern Ireland), supported by H.I.P.S.T.E.R. Historically Informed Performance Series, Teaching, Education, and Research (Republic of Ireland) in partnership with Sonorities Festival Belfast (Northern Ireland), Daylight Music (England), Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Scotland), Rathmullan Music Project (Republic of Ireland) and Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series (England) to present "BAILE/home" in an extended new version for harpsichord, viola da gamba, toy piano and electronics exploring themes of home, migration, and belonging.

 

Elizabeth Sills, Grants & Programmes Manager at PRS Foundation said, "We're delighted to be announcing the organisations and composers selected for these 6 exciting new music projects. Following our celebrations of the 15th anniversary of Beyond Border this year, I'm very much looking forward to seeing this latest round of projects come to life across the UK and Ireland continuing to build on its success in 2026 and the positive impact it will have on the grantees as well as the music communities and audiences in each Nation.

Huge thank you to our partners Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland whose support is so vital to this impactful initiative."

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.

Beyond Borders successes have included "Songs of Separation", a collective of 10 English and Scottish folk musicians whose album won 'Best Album' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017, and David Fennessy's "Panopticon", commissioned by Hebrides Ensemble and Psappha, which won the Scottish Award for New Music for Small Scale work. Martin Green's "Flit", combining live music and animation which reflects on first hand stories of migration, also won over audiences and critics nationwide in 2016, and was funded through Beyond Borders. Stuart Macrae's stage work "Ghost Patrol", co-commissioned by Music Theatre Wales and Scottish Opera won the Opera category at the Southbank Sky Arts Awards in March 2013.

You can read the full list of Beyond Borders grantees since 2010 on PRS Foundation's website.

 

To find out more about the programme, please visit: https://prsfoundation.com/funding-support/funding-for-organisations/beyond-borders/