Beyond Borders

Beyond Borders stimulates and strengthens cross-border collaborations between music creators, performers and presenters. It supports the creation, touring and promotion of innovative and high-quality new music across all genres and encourages engagement with audiences across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through multiple performances and digital activity.

Funding of up to £15,000 is available for projects that include new commissions, recordings and repeat performances of music written in the past five years. Support is given to up to 8-10 projects per year that represent:

• Innovation and quality within the music, programming and performances, and potential for national/international profile.
• Strength and depth of collaboration between cross-border organisations/ensembles/bands and - - - potential for partnership legacy
• Potential audience reach and impact and the strength of plans for public engagement.

Previous Beyond Borders successes have included Songs of Separation, a collective of 10 female English and Scottish folk musicians whose album won ‘Best Album’ at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017, and David Fennessy’s ‘Panopticon’, commissioned by Hebrides Ensemble and Psappha, which won the Scottish Award for New Music for Small Scale work. Martin Green’s ‘Flit’, combining live music and animation which reflects on first hand stories of migration, also won over audiences and critics nationwide in 2016, and was funded through Beyond Borders.

Existing Beyond Borders projects are supported in partnership with Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

For further information about the programme please contact:

Elizabeth Sills, PRS Foundation Grants and Programmes Manager

Scheme eligibility

Eligibility

• The scheme is open to all UK or Ireland-based not-for-profit organisations.
• Collaborations can involve co-commissioning new works or co-promoting music written by UK/Ireland-based music creators during the past five years.
• Applications must consist of at least three partners, each from a different UK/Ireland region.
• Larger partnerships, incorporating additional international organisations, are encouraged.
• There must be a lead partner for each application comprising a festival, venue, promoter or performing group with organisational capacity and infrastructure to deliver the proposed project.
• If an individual music creator is interested in developing a Beyond Borders project submission, they can contact tina@prsfoundation.com to discuss support in identifying potential partners or access a list of previous funded organisations here.
• Music creators cannot be part of the commissioning organisation, but may be part of the performing ensemble selected to be part of the project
• There must be a minimum of three live performances between the decision date and the end of the following calendar year, reaching audiences in at least three UK/Ireland regions.
• Recordings and digital activity are eligible for support but cannot form the majority of the funding request. All Beyond Borders projects are expected to have a significant element of live activity.
• We expect music to be the focus of the commission, but cross-artform collaborations are encouraged.
• Although Beyond Borders funding is available to support performances in the UK/Ireland, the premiere of the work does not have to be in the UK/Ireland.
• International musicians may be involved in Beyond Borders projects, however the music must be - primarily written by UK or Ireland-based music creators.
• Organisations currently working on previous Beyond Borders projects are welcome to apply, but we particularly welcome submissions from new collaborative partnerships.
• Beyond Borders projects should demonstrate significant additionality to any activity supported by core - funding or other project funding from Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of - Northern Ireland or Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
• We expect Beyond Borders funding to contribute to rather than support full project costs. Budget projections should include other cash income, in addition to any in-kind-support.
• Commitment to work in a minimum of 3 regions; expand this definition to include live performances and other e.g. channels.