This open call is now closed, but keep an eye out for future opportunities! 

All our work involves communities in Birmingham and we look for opportunities for all artists to have direct contact with the peoples of Brum at all stages of making work. We open up the process and discover together. As part of our ambitious new programme to develop new work, Birmingham Opera Company wants to commission three composers/creatives to create short new pieces. The works will be presented in Early April 2024.

Indicative scale: works of 5-10 minutes' duration for 1 singer and 1-2 instrumentalists, for a 2-3 day rehearsal period.

Commission fee: £1,500 per composer or creative team (e.g. writer & composer - the team must include a composer).

We're looking for work that explores any theme but are particularly interested in the following points:

• Works from artists with roots in or who are based in the West Midlands
• Works which have an interesting story to tell which have the potential to be developed through this process
• We welcome expressions of interest from composers working in all musical idioms, especially those that represent the cultural traditions of people in Birmingham/West Midlands. You do not need to have previous experience in opera.
• Works that consider the inclusion of volunteers in the development and/or presentation of the work.

Birmingham Opera Company welcomes applicants from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, including Black and minoritised ethnicities, d/Deaf and disabled people, working class backgrounds and LGBTQ+ identifying.

Timescale

19 July 2023: deadline for expressions of interest (12pm, midday).

Following the deadline, there may be some informal discussions with shortlisted composers.  

29 July 2023: selected composers confirmed.

October 2023 (Exact dates TBC with the selected creatives): opportunity for workshops in Birmingham, 2-3 days per work, including some sessions with singer/instrumentalists. Sessions will include the opportunity for some dramaturgical support and engagement with our volunteers and audiences. 

Early-January 2024: Composers deliver completed works.

Mid-March/ Early-April: Rehearsals and performances.

Expressions of interest 

We invite composers to submit our expression of interest form, which includes the following:

• A short letter or video (maximum 1 side A4 or 2-minute video) setting out initial ideas, including where the text would come from and what form the music would be likely to take. Please note that we are not necessarily looking for fully-formed ideas at this stage.
• A short CV or biography.
• 1 example of a previous work, preferably accessible online.

More about us 

Birmingham Opera Company makes some of the best opera in the world. We reflect the city that we work in, with our audiences, artists and the stories that we tell. We work at multiple scales. Each year, we deliver over 100 events all over the city with diverse participants, artists and audiences. With no fixed venue, we perform in aircraft hangars, power stations, nightclubs, shopping centres, hospitals… And each year, hundreds of Brummies volunteer to sing, act or dance alongside some of the most exciting established and emerging artists in the world. Find out more about the Company at http://www.birminghamopera.org.uk/.