Key Dates
Sep 2022
Applications open
9am Mon 31 Oct
Applications close
Fri 9 Dec
Shortlisted acts announced
Wed 18 Jan
Battle of the Bands event // Moth Club, E9 6NU
Championing the unusual, unorthodox and unheard, our annual Battle of the Bands competition is back.
Whether you’re looking to showcase new adventures into electronica or dip your toe into experimental waters, Battle of the Bands is a chance for soloists, ensembles, improvisers and performance artists to showcase their work for a friendly crowd and panel of industry experts.
A small number of shortlisted acts will be selected to perform a 7–15 minute set at MOTH Club, Dalston on Weds 18 Jan 2023, with multiple industry VIPs and artists in attendance. At the end of the night, our panel will choose their favourite performance to win the opportunity to perform a set at a future Nonclassical night and will join our wider network of Nonclassical Artists. Previous champions include The Hermes Experiment and ensemble x:y, Tangram Sound’s Reylon Yount and Daniel Shao and many more – read more about the competition and its previous competitors here.
Shortlisted finalists will receive a small honorarium (minimum £100 per artist) and Nonclassical will cover travel and access expenses. All shortlisted finalists will have the opportunity to join a reflective feedback session facilitated by Nonclassical after the event, and will also be invited to join our artist development sessions run throughout the year.
We particularly welcome applications from underrepresented and/or marginalised groups in music, including but not limited to women, non-binary, Black, Asian or ethnically diverse, and/or disabled artists.
Interested? Fill in our short application form including a link to a demo track either on SoundCloud, YouTube or Vimeo. Deadline for applications is Monday 31 October 2022. Applicants will be notified as to whether their application has been shortlisted by Friday 9 December, with successful applicants performing on Wednesday 18 January 2022.
What you need to apply
Our form is very simple. Before applying, you should have the follow things ready:
Introduction Tell us a little bit about yourself and what interests you.
Repertoire or programme if shortlisted This is an important part of the shortlisting process. We are looking for acts who chime with the Nonclassical ethos, promoting adventurous new classical, electronic and experimental music.
List of performers and instruments
Where you are based Where possible, Nonclassical will provide travel expenses within reason. Please note that only UK-based acts are eligible. See our environmental policy.
Main contact name and details
Links to your website and/or social media
Up to two links to your music via Soundcloud, YouTube or Vimeo – please note we do not accept downloads. Links may be private but please provide any passwords for password protected links.
What do I win?
Shortlisted finalists...
- will be paid an honorarium (minimum £100 per performer) plus travel/access expenses to perform at our live event on Wednesday 18 January 2023.
- will receive a high quality video recording of their live performance.
- will have portraits as well as live performance photographs taken by a professional photographer at the event.
- are invited to participate in a reflective group feedback session following the event (hosted online) facilitated by Nonclassical, which will be a friendly, informal and positive opportunity to meet the other finalists and discuss the performances.
- are invited to Nonclassical's series of artist development sessions run online throughout the year.
- have the option to record their own live video session with our friends at State51
Champion 2023
In addition to the above, the champion of Battle of the Bands 2023 wins a paid opportunity to perform at a future Nonclassical event or the opportunity to release a track on our annual compilation Outside the Lines (chosen at the winner's discretion.)
If you’d like to receive updates about future opportunities, as well as our latest events and releases, sign up to our mailing list.
FAQs
Accessibility
We recognise that artists/creatives with disabilities and/or access requirements are under-represented in the arts and may require additional support. Successful applicants will be invited to submit an access document to outline their support needs. This is so that we can assess your needs in order to to ensure that you have equal access to work. Nonclassical endeavours to support every artist and make opportunities accessible to their needs. This includes a budget of reasonable financial support allocated towards access requirements. Please get in touch with sophie@nonclassical.co.uk if you have any questions.
For the more information about Moth Club's accessibility, please click here.
What are you looking for?
When shortlisting, we’ll be looking at the quality of both the performance and repertoire you’ve submitted. We're looking for people who chime with our mission, but we're open to acts that exist outside of typical genres. Get a feel for the music we've released on our label and check out some of our past events.
Do you have to be UK-based?
Yes, all applicants must be UK-based and available to perform at the event in London on Wednesday 19 January.
What should I prepare?
Sets should be between 7 and 15 minutes. It’s up to you how you choose to fill that time, although you should have an idea of what you’re going to do when you apply – we’ll ask you for a repertoire list, which will be taken into consideration when shortlisting.
I’m a pianist, is there a piano available at the venue?
Although there unfortunately isn't a piano at the venue, we can provide an electric keyboard or you’re welcome to bring your own.
I’m an electronic musician, what tech is available at the venue?
There’ll be a sound technician on the night and the venue itself is set up with microphones, monitors and speakers. Time is often tight on the day so a complicated setup will be tricky, but you can always double check with our Events Manager Sophie if you’re unsure. We’ll ask you to list your technical requirements when you apply.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch with Sophie Haynes (Marketing and Events Manager) at sophie@nonclassical.co.uk.
Panel
NB: Some panellists are still yet to be confirmed.
Alan Davey – Controller, BBC Radio 3
Alan Davey CBE is Controller, BBC Radio 3, BBC Proms and BBC Orchestras and Choirs. He is BBC Sponsor for the East Bank project which will see the BBC’s music studios moving to the new Stratford creative quarter. He is also chair of Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Drama and on the Board of EFDSS (English Folk Dance and Song Society) and a Trustee of Hall for Cornwall. He is also champion for socio economic diversity at the BBC.
Awarded a CBE in February 2015 for services to the arts, Davey was formerly Chief Executive of Arts Council England where he served for 8 years from November 2007. During this time he was chairman of IFACCA - the International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies, a founding member of the Cultural Olympiad Board for the London 2012 Olympics, a member of the UK Creative Industries Council and of the Milburn task force on Socio Economic Diversity in the Professions.
He has degrees from the Universities of Birmingham (BA English), Oxford (M Phil English) and London (MA Classics), and was awarded the honorary degrees of Doctor of Letters from the University of Birmingham and Doctor of Art from the University of Teesside.
Nwando Ebizie – multidisciplinary artist
An unclassifiable polymath, British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist Nwando fabulates speculative fictions and alternate realities at the intersection of live art, experimental music and multi-sensory installation. She proposes new myths, rituals and provocations for perceptual change, radical care and transformation of the self and community, drawing from science fiction, Black Atlantic ritual cultures, biophilia, neuroscience, her own neurodivergency and Nigerian heritage.
Awards include: An Ivor Novello nomination, an Oram Award, and the Steve Reid Innovation award. Her debut album was released in 2022 on Matthew Herbert’s Accidental Records to critical acclaim.
Commissions include compositions for London Sinfonietta, Aurora Orchestra, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Opera North and Sky Arts.
Her work including live art gigs, sound art installations and curated happenings, has been performanced at Barbican, Southbank Centre, Wellcome Collection, Tempo Festival (Rio de Janeiro), Hepworth Wakefield, Melbourne Science Gallery, Tate Britain, Art/Science Museum, Singapore.
TOKS DADA – Head of Classical Music, Southbank Centre
Toks Dada is a Classical Music Curator, Programmer & Producer, a Fellow of the International Society for the Performing Arts, and Head of Classical Music at Southbank Centre since December 2020. From 2015 to 2020, Toks worked on the classical music programme at Town Hall Symphony Hall, Birmingham, including as Classical Programme Manager. Committed to engaging new audiences with classical music, Toks was the Guest Curator for the 2022 edition of Wonderfeel - the Netherlands' biggest outdoor classical music festival. Toks also previously served as a Board Director at Welsh National Opera from 2017 to 2022, and an Advisor at PRS for Music Foundation from 2016 to 2020.
In 2010 Toks founded the music commissioning and producing company Sinfonia Newydd in Wales, providing a platform for established and emerging professional composers, including as part of cross-artform collaborative projects. Toks has also been a Board Director of Sinfonia Cymru, where he contributed towards the development of Sinfonia Cymru Curate.
As an advocate for change, Toks has championed new approached for the classical music industry including attracting new audiences and engaging young people. Most notably, Toks has presented at the International Society for the Performing Arts Congress, Incorporated Society of Musicians Conference, Association of British Orchestras Conference, and at the European Festivals Association. Toks has also written articles for Classical Music Magazine, and BBC Proms Guide.
Toks holds a Masters in Arts Management and Bachelor of Music degree from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and was appointed an Honorary Associate of the College in 2020.
Gabriel Prokofiev – Composer, Nonclassical founder and Artistic Director
Gabriel Prokofiev is a composer, producer and DJ, whose music seeks to simultaneously embrace and challenge western classical traditions, often taking influences from other popular styles such as grime, hip hop and electronic music. This can be heard in works like Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra – which premiered at the BBC Proms in 2011 – and Cello Multitracks, which has received over 40 performances worldwide. He has written numerous works for international concert halls, dance companies and opera stages, including commissions for the Seattle Symphony, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Rambert Dance, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Alexander Whitley Dance.
Natalia Franklin Pierce – Nonclassical Executive Director
Specialising in artist development and producing large-scale new music events, Natalia came to lead the Nonclassical team in August 2019 after managing the LSO’s Panufnik, Soundhub and Jerwood Composer+ Schemes for composers. Previously, she worked as a producer for Multi-Story Orchestra; a project leader for Sound and Music (where she lead composer residency programmes with artists such as Kuljit Bhamra, Wet Sounds, The Riot Ensemble and Red Note Ensemble); and as an artist manager for Emily Hall and Ikon Arts Management.
Check out our favourite moments from HANDEL THE INNOVATOR, our collaboration with the London Handel Festival.