Opera North is seeking applications from music-makers and composers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds living in the north of England for its second programme of Resonance residencies.

Launched in 2017, Resonance offers professional artists working in any genre the opportunity to develop new performance ideas. Successful applicants will receive up to a week of free rehearsal space in central Leeds in March and April 2019, a grant of up to £3,000, support and advice from technicians and producers, and an optional ‘work in progress’ performance.

Four artists
In March 2018, four artists took part in the first residency programme at Opera North, collaborating with performers from other disciplines and pushing their work in new directions. 

Afrofuturist artist Nwando Ebizie worked with musicians, singers and dancers on an immersive opera inspired by the medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen. 

Leader of Leeds-based band Ubunye, Thandanani Gumede, developed a new song cycle fusing jazz, gospel and traditional Zulu music, with live VR visualisations from Steve Manthorp. 

Director Moji Kareem developed her new opera fusing the narratives of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and the disappearance of the Chibok schoolgirls in Nigeria, with composer and singer Juwon Ogungbe and librettist Olusola Oyeleye. The Pied Piper of Chibok received its latest staging at London’s Grimeborn Festival this month. 

Singer-songwriter, producer and composer Christella Litras worked on her soundtrack for the sequel to the animated sci-fi film Battledream Chronicle with Martiniquais writer-director Alain Bidard, singer Rob Green and Indian classical musician Vijay Venkat.

Commenting on the Resonance residency, Litras said:

We had a week to just be artists, to just be creative, to just be expressive without pressure or restrictions. This rare opportunity has brought together some amazing artists and extended our skills to another level across different art forms. My advice to BAME artists is to not be afraid to apply for Resonance, be honest with your idea and place no restrictions on the concept. I shared a rehearsal room for a week with an artist I dreamed of working with and who lives across the globe! Anything is possible.

To apply for a 2019 residency, artists should fill in the form on the Opera North website and submit it by 10am on Monday 8 October 2018. The lead artist must be a professional composer, musician or music maker from a BAME background, aged 18 years old or over and living in the north of England. The Resonance residencies are supported by the PRS Foundation.

For more information, visit www.operanorth.co.uk.