Composition Alternative Performance and Performance Art (CAPPA)
October 2023 – June 2024
“Being on the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme has empowered, challenged, and inspired me to make the art that I believe in. The environment has profoundly impacted my creative practice and given me more than I could ever possibly say; both as an artist and collaborator.”
BPYAP Composer 2021-22
Is this course for me?
CAPPA is for makers in sound, whether you are a composer, improvisor, sound artist, producer, songwriter, interdisciplinary artist, or any other music performer who substantially contributes to new original work (through, for example, devising, collaboration, and interpretation). The intention is to bring together like minded artists to foster conversation and potential collaboration across different approaches to making new work. The emphasis is on exploratory or experimental music (broadly defined), and a wider variety of sounds and approaches is welcome.
Who will work with me?
This course will be led by some of the country’s leading experts in new exploratory music making. Course directors are Larry Goves & Angharad Davies. You will also be working and collaborating with the course resident ensemble The House of Bedlam and other guest tutors including composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalists Seaming To, who help mentor and support you during the year.
What can I expect on this course?
You can expect to make new work and experiments towards new work in collaboration with other participants and the course tutors and ensembles. The ultimate aim is to contribute new work to a group show/concert at the Aldeburgh Festival in 2024. The course is not, however, a residency, and is structured around provocations and responses to discussions about experimental music and performance art. In the past sessions have included performance art narratives, alternative notational strategies, discussions of key repertoire, and introductions to the tutors’ practice. This year there will be a focus on considering/reconsidering ‘chamber music’ with starting points including (but not limited to), musical intimacy, group communication, and music for home and friends.
The course structure is below:
2 – 3 September 2023: Introduction weekend.
30 November – 3 December 2023: ‘Experimentation’ course.
29 February – 3 March 2024: ‘Implementation’ course.
June (exact dates tbc) 2024: Preparation and Group Show at the Aldeburgh Festival
You will need to be able to be at Snape Maltings for all course dates listed above through 2023-24. As with all BPYAP courses, there is no fee to attend, we will cover travel costs, accommodation and most meals. Additionally, we have a small budget to provide financial support, including for those who need support with removing barriers to access or childcare costs.
Who can apply?
Applications are invited from creative musicians who are prepared to work with others (whether you perform or not and whatever your approach to making music might be). We are accepting applications internationally, you do not have to be a resident of the UK or EU in order to apply for this course.