Spring 2023 Future Fund Recipients
Over the last three years, the world has changed dramatically. As the industry continues to build itself from the ground up, many artists face more challenges than ever before. Guildhall Futures is a funding scheme for Guildhall School of Music and & graduates who have completed their studies with us in the last 5 years. The fund was created with the purpose of providing professional support to our alumni community in order to address issues raised during this time of crisis. This funding aims to give our alumni artists space to consider their practice, adapt to a fundamentally changed landscape and maintain sustainable and fulfilling careers.
After receiving many applications and a lengthy selection process, the Guildhall Futures Fund is pleased to support the following projects.
Find out about the projects below:
Project Outline
An artistic project embracing the use of scent, sound and tradition that will explore themes of memory and wellbeing. Havdalah is a ceremony at the end of Shabbat (Saturday evening, concluding the day of rest in Jewish tradition.) Amongst other rituals, it is traditional to circulate a small spice box, containing various scents. The idea is called Besamim: that smelling these spices will enhance the extra souls that have been given to you on Shabbat before they leave you the following day. Many Jews grew up smelling these spices once a week, across generations, continents and communities. This project will explore how the spices can function as both a meditative ritual and a sensory prompt for communal memories. Workshops will take place in Jewish care home environments, where various spices will be brought along for Besamim mixes to be put together by the residents, hopefully creating discussion on the subject of havdalah, heritage and community. An interactive sculpture will be developed as a documentation of the workshops and activities that have taken place and will be displayed in a public environment. The funding for this project will help allow time for research and development, organisation of the workshops within a care environment and purchase of materials.
About the artist
rechonski is the interdisciplinary practice of Sam Harris who explores ideas on tradition, community, and ritual. Recontextualising objects and spaces to attempt to find minute histories and unwritten biographies of forgotten places. He values collective process and collaboration within his work and uses a variety of mediums including sculpture, performance, and poetry.
Project outline
The Guildhall Futures Fund will allow Meg to spend time honing her song writing practice. She hopes to use the grant to support her, partly, with the costs of mentors, who will help to consolidate her writing procedures. The grant will also allow Meg to begin ‘living life as a song writer’, as she embarks on the writing and arrangements for a new EP consisting solely of original music. Meg is also a keen educator and hopes to take her formalised song writing practices and procedures to her students in disadvantaged parts of the UK, helping to celebrate and champion diverse voices through music.
This funding provides Meg with a springboard to to develop a sustainable, fulfilling career and, whilst adding legitimacy to her teaching within communities.
About the artist
Born and bred in East London, Meg Bird is an emerging young artist right at the cusp of an exciting musical career. When song writing, she fuses this sound with her love for songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Rufus Wainwright, bringing a passion for lyric into the world of jazz. Meg has performed in venues across the UK from ‘The Blue Arrow’ in Glasgow, to some of London’s most popular Jazz clubs, such as Pizza Express Soho, The Spice of Life, and The Vortex. She released her debut album ‘Girls Like Lions’ in October 2021 to critical acclaim.
Project outline
The Listening Project is a group that explores music penned by living composers, that reflects the diverse and changing creative landscape we live in today. In doing so, they seek to demystify the often archaic and sometimes academic conventions of contemporary classical music. They aren’t perturbed by appearing in unconventional spaces and in the short time they have been together, have performed in pubs, art galleries, record stores and even a book shop!
Funding from Guildhall Futures will enable The Listening Project to purchase much needed electronic equipment to help the group begin the next phase of their development and deliver even more ambitious and exciting projects. With this equipment, they will be able to explore more electro-acoustic repertoire and pool resources into other areas such as the commissioning of new works by up and coming composers, outreach projects outside of the Greater London area with Bristol Youth Music, Sage Gateshead and the Centre for Young Musicians along with recording their live performances.
This funding will make a significant impact on the viability and sustainability for everyone involved with The Listening Project as they continue to grow into one of the most exciting emerging new music groups in the UK.
About the artist
Jack is a performer and curator, specialising in the performance of new music. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music in 2019 he spent time in the USA and Berlin before moving to Chicago in 2021. Upon returning to the UK in 2022, he established himself as Artistic Director of The Listening Project, a new music group that seeks to demystify the often archaic conventions of Contemporary Classical Music. A fan of all genres of music and other forms of art, he has a strong belief that tangible connections can be made between communities through the performance of the music of our time. Jack is currently on the young artist programme at the Roundhouse in London. He also works part time for NMC Recordings.
Project outline
Emanate Productions is a theatre company that focuses on nurturing talent in emerging and established artists of Jewish heritage - platforming urgent, exciting and passionate stories with an integral Jewish soul.
Through a series of regular ‘New Jewish Writing Workshops’ we will offer a safe and supportive space for all artists to develop new Jewish work in community spaces across London.
The monthly workshops will be aimed towards giving Jewish writers, directors and actors a space to have an equal stake in the early creative process of brand new, exciting Jewish work. A space for writers to workshop and experiment with new ideas, using an ensemble of Jewish actors and directors who, together, will help shape brand new ideas for future projects. We are constantly working to discover and nurture fresh, emerging Jewish talent, enabling young Jewish people to connect and find themselves in more uplifting Jewish spaces and ultimately creating a culture of Jewish celebration and giving the wider Jewish community a voice in the arts. The funding will also allow us to pay for space hire, cover printing and other admin costs and provide bursary places for creatives who are unable to attend due to financial reasons, ensuring our work is accessible to all.
About the artist
Dan and Sam both graduated from the Guildhall Acting course in 2021.
After leaving Guildhall, they formed Emanate Productions, a theatre company specialising in developing new Jewish writing. Their first project was A Night of New Jewish Writing at Kiln Theatre, where they commissioned five new short plays from Jewish writers such as Amy Rosenthal, Alexis Zegerman and Ryan Craig.
Since graduating, Dan’s acting work has included We Were The Lucky Ones (20th Century/Hulu) Leopoldstadt (Wyndham’s Theatre), Habeas Corpus (Menier Chocolate Factory).
Sam’s work has included Sexy Beast (Paramount), A Spy Among Friends (Sony), Something In The Air (Jermyn Street Theatre).