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UK-Russia Year of Music Grant Scheme for organisations

The Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Moscow announces a Grant Scheme for organisations as part of the UK-Russia Year of Music.

• From: British Embassy Moscow
• Published: 24 December 2018

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Deadline: 10 February 2019

UK-Russia Year of Music 2019

The UK-Russia Year of Music will build on the successes of the UK-Russia Year of Culture in 2014, the UK-Russia Year of Language and Literature in 2016 and the UK-Russia Year of Science and Education in 2017.

It will celebrate the UK and Russia’s rich musical cultures and our profound respect for each other’s musical traditions and achievements through a programme that will foster people-to-people contacts between our countries.

The aims of the Year of Music are to –

1. share, celebrate and broaden appreciation of contemporary and classical music from the UK and Russia through diverse, inclusive and innovative programming
2. create and share opportunities for professional collaboration between individuals and institutions, including agencies and promoters, conservatoires and music schools and the creative industries in the UK and Russia
3. inspire audiences across the whole of the UK and the whole of Russia to build positive relations with one another through cultural exchange
4. support as many young people as possible to participate in cultural and educational activities

Diversity will be at the heart of the programme and will be reflected in the representation of the UK, the showcasing of different genres of classical and contemporary music and innovative approaches to presenting events and to reaching audiences across Russia, both live and online.

The UK-Russia Year of Music Grant Scheme is for Russian organisations who wish to present UK music of any genre in Russia between 1 March 2019 and 31 March 2020, including:

• Russian state and independent concert halls
• Philharmonias and conservatoires
• Theatres
• Clubs and bars
• Independent agencies and promoters
• State and independent music festivals
• Other cultural institutions with music programmes (museums, parks etc)
• Orchestras, ensembles, artists, artists collectives with event management experience who wish to organise a UK music performance

Grants are available for

1. Concerts, performances, operas, DJ-sets, music installations and other types of events (of any genre) taking place in Russia that will involve inviting and collaborating with UK musicians, groups, conductors, orchestras, composers etc, as the main element of the planned activity. Multiple performances are encouraged.
2. Commission of a new piece of music from a UK composer to be performed in Russia.
3. TV and radio broadcast, recordings, or live or recorded music projects promoted primarily on digital platforms.
4. Activity may include: professional and audience development opportunities, such as conferences, workshops, public talks, exhibitions, marketing and promotional campaigns. However, live music performances must form the key part of the proposal.

Conditions

1. The activity must include live performances that showcase UK music content (this may be part of an overall programme featuring music from Russia and/or other countries), from any genre, created by emerging and established UK artists/collectives.
2. The UK music performance in Russia should take place between 1 March 2019 and 31 March 2020.
3. The amount of grant available is between GBP1,000 and GBP20,000 depending on the scale of activity. Projects may not receive the full funding amount requested.
4. Grants will be transferred in Russian roubles, calculated at the exchange rate of the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Moscow on the date of signing the grant agreement.
5. It is expected that the grant will act as co-funding, where the grant participant will cover between 25% to 50% of the whole budget from other sources (including cash and/or in-kind contributions).
6. A budget should be provided which shows a full cost breakdown and sources of anticipated income or project support including in-kind contributions.
7. The event must carry the branding of the UK-Russia Year of Music. The partner will be expected to market the activity effectively and may be asked to share a marketing plan demonstrating how they plan to attract a strong audience for the event(s).
8. Not eligible for this grant scheme: a. Invitations to conferences or other non-performance events, unless as part of a broader programme including live music performance, supported through this grant. b. Invitations to attend educational activity (e.g. courses, research, PhD or any other degree). c. Support for language learning.
9. The Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy will not take responsibility for organising participant invitations or visas or any other administrative aspects of the event.
10. Organisations applying for grants should be registered in Russia and act as legal entities.

UK Artist criteria

1. Any genre.
2. At least several years’ experience at a professional level that has attracted demonstrable interest from the music industry in the UK.
3. Interest in collaboration and working on new musical and creative projects with others and forging international connections to support future international working.

Selection criteria

Priority will be given to the projects that meet the conditions above, and present:

1. A strong idea that has been clearly researched, showing how this activity is beneficial to the UK artist/professional and the Russia music sector
2. Demonstrable evidence of interest from both UK and Russian partners
3. Additional sources of funding identified (including in-kind support)
4. Sustainable and continuing collaboration and creative and commercial exchange that will be supported by this activity
5. Significant audience reach (including digital elements such as recording and broadcast, where the artistic activity (e.g. performance) is likely to be shared with a wider audience)
6. Activity that includes multiple performances in various regions and cities in Russia
7. Consideration to engaging artists from all parts of the UK
8. A proven track record in delivering high quality projects/events

The deadline for submitting the applications is 10 February 2019. Please complete the form and send it at cultural.section.moscow@gmail.com by 23:59 GMT+3, 10.02.2019.

Application Form

MS Word Document, 22.7 KB

Published 24 December 2018