PRS for Music Foundation (PRS) has thrown its financial backing behind nine UK and Ireland music projects under its Beyond Borders banner. Running since 2010, Beyond Borders is a co-commissioning and touring scheme that aims to create partnerships between composers, performers and music organisations.
The 2015 funded groups are 9Bach and Twelfth Day; AC Projects and Counterflows; Atlantic Arc Orchestra and Duncairn Centre; Cryptic and Sanford Museum; Earagail; Gould Piano Trio; Quercus Ensemble and Acoustronic; Songs of Seperation Ensemble; and, finally, a joint commission by Edinburgh International Festival, Barbican Centre, Sage Gateshead, Lepus Productions and Opera North.
‘The latest round of Beyond Borders shows the strength and depth of high quality collaborations that are being forged between talented music creators and organisations from different parts of the UK and Ireland,’ said PRS executive director Vanessa Reed.
Edinburgh International Festival’s joint commission of a new Martin Green production is particularly timely, as Flit will focus on immigration stories using music and animation. Also of note is the project from Quercus Ensemble and Acoustronic, which will see Frank Lyons’ piece NonZeroSum performed by a group of eight non-disabled and disabled musicians.
‘It is testament to the success of the Beyond Borders scheme that it brings together such a diverse range of music creators, organisations and audiences, and allows them to explore a breadth of musical cultures, styles and traditions,’ added Ian Smith, Creative Scotland’s head of music.
Beyond Borders is just one element of PRS’s work, with the charity investing more than GBP22m (€31.3m) in music initiatives since 2000. Past Beyond Borders projects include Field Music scoring (and then touring) the film Drifters by John Grierson, and Roger Steptoe setting Shakespeare sonnets to music with the help of Welsh Chamber Orchestra.