Exciting Opportunity For Female Artists

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BRIT-WINNING ARTIST BETH ORTON TO LEAD ALL-FEMALE

SONGWRITING RESIDENCY AT BAND ON THE WALL

  • Highly acclaimed singer-songwriter will spend five days working with emerging female musicians
  • Music from this collaboration will be showcased at legendary Band on the Wall venue
  • Beth Orton’s Artistic Directors Series Residency runs from 16th-20th February 2015
  • The collaborations will culminate in a unique showcase event on Friday 20th February

Twice-Mercury Prize nominated, BRIT award winning singer-songwriter Beth Orton is to mentor a specially-selected group of 13 up-and-coming female musicians, composers and vocalists from all over the UK.

The event, produced by Brighter Sound and hosted at Manchester’s Band On The Wall, will bring together some of the UK’s most exciting young female talent to collaborate with one of the country’s most respected songwriters.

Beth said:

“I am thrilled to be asked to support and take part in this exciting and important project. Getting the chance to mentor — or simply the opportunity to stand as witness to — the diverse, and possibly unheard, talents of artists from all across the UK fills me with curiosity and some apprehension!

“If I’m lucky I will get to share some of what has been passed along to me over the years. I am equally prepared to be humbled beyond recognition and cannot wait to be so!”

After noticing that the vast majority of previous applicants were male, Brighter Sound created this residency especially for female artists in order to spark discussion around women in the music industry and to support emerging female professionals.

Beth is perfect for this collaborative mentoring role, having worked with a host of notable musicians including William Orbit, The Chemical Brothers, Terry Callier, Dr. Robert and Ben Harper.

Her residency is an intensive five-day project which will produce new work and culminate in a unique showcase event at Band on the Wall on Friday 20th February.

Brighter Sound has produced four previous artistic residencies with highly-acclaimed folk group The Unthanks, Grammy award-winners Snarky Puppy, DMC DJ of the Year award-winner, DJ Yoda and Mercury Award nominees Everything Everything.

Those wishing to apply for the 5-day Artistic Directors Series Residency with Beth Orton can fill out the application via brightersound.com/latest-news/wall-sounds-artistic-directors-series-beth-orton. The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 23rd  January.

BETH ORTON: bethortonofficial.com

WALL OF SOUNDS: bandonthewall.org/education/wall-of-sounds BRIGHTER SOUND: brightersound.com

NOTES:

BETH ORTON:

  • Beth has been nominated for three BRIT award, winning Best Female Artist at the 2000 BRITs.
  • She has also been nominated for two Mercury Music Prizes.
  • She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers
  • Her second LP, Trailer Park, received critical acclaim in 1996 and a Mercury Prize nomination
  • Following albums Central Reservation (1999) and Daybreaker (2002) cemented her status as one of the UK’s most creative and commercially successful folk artists.
  • Her most recent albums, Comfort of Strangers (2006) and Sugaring Season (2012) saw very positive reviews from the likes of Pitchfork, The Guardian and the BBC.

BRIGHTER SOUND:

  • Brighter Sound is a cultural producer of creative music projects and events across the North West.
  • We pioneer new ways to explore creative music making with an interest in the spaces that exist between what is already on offer.
  • Our diverse and invigorating programme connects a wide range of people through mu-sic and creativity.
  • Whether it’s packing out a library to see a signed band compose live, songwriting in a science lab or experimenting in an orchestra, every one of our projects pushes creative limits and strives to give new meaning to learning through music.

WALL OF SOUNDS:

  • Wall of Sounds is a partnership between Brighter Sound and Band on the Wall, funded by Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts Fund.
  • It offers a variety of exciting opportunities to explore music through artist residencies, master-classes, performance and courses.
  • Support is offered for emerging and mid-career musicians through conferences, masterclasses, residencies, coaching, mentoring and performances.
  • Residencies give musicians the space and time to work intensively with each other and the lead artists, collaborating on ideas, developing artistic practice, honing musical skills and developing strong working relationships.
  • Each five-day residency is a creative music project between 13 emerging & mid career musi-cians and artists under the guidance of an artistic director.
  • They devise, re-work, produce and arrange new and existing work culminating in a unique showcase event at Band on the Wall.
  • Films of the previous residencies: The Unthanks, Snarky Puppy and DJ Yoda.

APPLICATIONS:

  • Applications to take part can be made here: surveymonkey.com/s/bethorton
  • Applicants must be available to travel to and stay in Manchester for the whole of the week of

16th to 20th February 2015. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered.

  • The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 23rd January.

QUOTES:

“Wall of Sounds is the sort of opportunity that money can’t buy, that decides a career, turns on a light, ignites a creative candle – a candle that shines upon your face and lets the world know who you are. It’s the kind of opportunity that can give someone the boost they need for stepping on into the next generation of British music” — Bethan Morgan-Williams, residency participant.