Triskel Arts Centre and Improvised Music Company are pleased to announce a new edition of the WRITE RECORD PERFORM residency programme in partnership. 

This programme of WRITE RECORD PERFORM will allow a professional musician working in jazz or creative improvised music dedicated time, space and budget to develop a new musical concept in a holistic way. The work will be developed from its initial stages, professionally recorded, and finally, given premiere performances for audiences at Triskel in Cork and in Dublin. 

With a budget of up to €10,000 for the project, the artist will also have physical space to develop work at Triskel in Cork and at Improvised Music Company’s Space Programme location in Dublin. Mentorship and guidance will also be available for the artist from Triskel and IMC.

The first edition of WRITE RECORD PERFORM, which is ongoing, resulted in violist Beth McNinch of Musici Ireland commissioning two new works from Cork composers Irene Buckley and Linda Buckley, while Abbey Blake of post-punk band Pretty Happy created a new audio-visual piece exploring Cork’s post-punk history.

In the Irish improvised music scene, pressing issues are apparent around space to develop and create new work. The role of the arts centre as a developmental, creative and performance space is a huge one, and WRITE RECORD PERFORM is just one way in which Triskel and IMC are working to address these issues. The divisions between creating, performing, and recording music which are created by current public funding structures can also pose problems to musicians in developing their work to its fullest potential. In improvised music, the creation and performance of music are often simultaneous, and can’t be easily distinguished. The WRITE RECORD PERFORM structure takes into account the totality of a musical work, and allows it space to breathe and develop. 

Tony Sheehan, Artistic Director at Triskel, said, “Triskel’s objective with WRITE RECORD PERFORM is to accompany artists on their journey from creation to recording and finally the staging of their work. We are especially delighted that IMC are joining forces with us to expand the scope and reach of the Programme, and the inclusion of two Venues will greatly increase the opportunities available to artists working in Jazz and Improvised music”

IMC Director Kenneth Killeen said: “WRITE RECORD PERFORM is an exciting new opportunity for Irish and Irish based jazz and improvising musicians. It is a holistic response to the natural lifecycle of new work. It stems from the combined experiences of Improvised Music Company and Triskel Arts Centre in developing new Irish work over the past 30 years. Our goal is to provide the time, space and resources to develop, rehearse, record and present new work to audiences, all within the scope of one project. We believe this accurately reflects an artist’s vision for their work from generation to documentation to live premiere and we’re delighted to be working with our colleagues in Triskel Arts Centre who have been champions of this artform in Ireland.”

Applications for the WRITE RECORD PERFORM programme will open to artists on Tuesday 1 November and close on Friday 27 January. Applications must be made online via this link. See below for guidelines.  

www.improvisedmusic.ie | www.triskelartscentre.ie 

GUIDELINES

This WRITE RECORD PERFORM residency programme from Triskel Arts Centre and Improvised Music Company is primarily aimed at professional musicians working in the fields of jazz and creative improvised music. Collaborative projects across other genres and artforms where improvised music is the “lead” are also welcome.

Applications for the WRITE RECORD PERFORM programme will open to artists on Tuesday 1 November, and close on Friday 27 January.

Triskel Arts Centre and Improvised Music Company are committed to equity and inclusion, and particularly welcomes applications from under-represented musicians, including but not limited to: musicians of colour, musicians with disabilities, Traveller musicians and LGBTQ+ musicians.

Professional artists in jazz and improvised music are people who, although they might not earn income continuously or exclusively from their arts practice, do identify themselves and are recognised by their peers as professional practising artists in the field of jazz and improvised music.

The three phases of the WRITE RECORD PERFORM residency are:

WRITE: Refers to the three-month period where researching, composing, arranging, planning and other activities relating to the project take place.

RECORD: Refers to the finished project recorded in a format such as audio or audio-visual media e.g., an album, an online concert, a digital album, a visual album etc.

PERFORM: A live world premiere concert which is held at Triskel Christchurch and an additional performance at a venue tbc in Dublin.

Each residency provides access to Triskel Arts Centre Cork, and Improvised Music Company’s Space Programme in Dublin over a specified three-month period to develop a project from writing stage through to recording and premiere performance which can happen in 2023 as feasible. Access to Triskel Christchurch and IMC’s Space Programme is available by agreement during all stages of the project. Where feasible, mentorship and guidance on certain aspects may be available from Triskel & IMC staff. 

The residency offers:

• A budget of up to €10,000 per project.
• Direct access to Triskel Arts Centre for up to 10 days in the three-month period, 2 days per week (Mondays and Tuesdays). Direct access to IMC’s Space Programme for up to 20 days in the three-month period.
• Support to manage and market the project thereafter to completion.
• In kind advice and technical support where appropriate from both organisations throughout the project.
• Use of Triskel Christchurch or IMC’s Space Programme to produce a recording of the project, either audio-visual or audio.
• Use of Triskel Christchurch and IMC’s Space Programme to rehearse.
• A world premiere live concert of the project in 2023 in Triskel Christchurch, with a second concert if feasible hosted by IMC in Dublin.

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants must be of professional standard in the field of jazz and improvised music, as recognised by their peers.
• Artists must be currently based in the Republic of Ireland.
• Applicants must have a strong track record in composition, performance and/or creation of original work.
• Applicants must be aged 18 or over.
• Applications may be from individuals or groups. In the case of groups or ensembles, one applicant is identified as the “lead” applicant. Ensembles or Groups should be mindful of the nature and size of Christchurch as a performance space (where the work will ultimately be premiered). Please see the Venue Spec for further details.
• Applications can be across artforms so long as the “lead” artform is jazz or creative improvised music.
• Applicants who have previously been awarded a WRITE RECORD PERFORM residency may not apply.

SELECTION

• Will be by a panel made up of Triskel & independent practitioners, and will be based on criteria including:
  • The artistic quality of the proposal
  • The track record of the applicant
  • The suitability of the Triskel venue & IMC’s Space Programme to the proposal (See Venue Spec)
  • The feasibility and fairness of the budget (See Budget Spec)

RESIDENCY PERIOD

• WRITE: 3 consecutive Months in the 2023 Calendar Year
• RECORD: On dates to be agreed in 2023
• PERFORM: On dates to be agreed in 2023

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications must be made online via this link.

Step 1. COMPLETE The online application form
Step 2. UPLOAD a document (preferably PDF) containing:

• A detailed project proposal to include:

• Overall concept of your project.
• Outline: WRITE, RECORD and PERFORM stages in detail showing actions and outcomes for each stage.
• Indicate your preferred dates for the three stages of the residency
• Include a budget (See Budget Spec)
• Your CV and the CVs of collaborators.

Step 3. UPLOAD 3 recent examples of your work, audio or video, preferably mp3 or mp4, to avoid overly large file sizes.

NOTE: You may also upload additional documents e.g. reviews, to a maximum of 3 documents.

VENUE SPEC

• Triskel Arts Centre will make available CHRISTCHURCH for a maximum of 2 days per week from 10am until 4pm Mondays and Tuesdays, for a block of 12 contiguous weeks not to exceed 3 months in 2023. Further development i.e. the RECORD and PERFORM elements can take place in 2023 on dates to be agreed.
• A Steinway C piano and Triskel backline will be made available where appropriate.
• Space can be used for development/rehearsals. In this case Triskel Arts Centre cannot provide an ongoing Sound/Lighting engineer but can provide a pre-planned stage setup, and in-house technician to switch on and off or assist with basic equipment setups.
• Any other specialised requirements or specialised technical assistance will need to be budgeted for e.g. piano tuning, sound engineering, lighting design, etc.
• Any technical equipment, instruments etc. not already available at Triskel will have to be budgeted for within the project budget uploaded.
• IMC’s Space Programme will be available to the artist on a maximum of 2 agreed-upon days per week for a block of 12 contiguous weeks not to exceed 3 months in 2023. Further use of space for RECORD and PERFORM elements will be agreed upon as appropriate.
• IMC will provide a basic backline in the Space Programme, not including an acoustic piano. Any additional needs will need to be budgeted for within the project budget uploaded. 
• Public liability Insurance is covered by the venue in each case.
• Hot-desking facilities at Triskel will be made available during the course of the 3 months WRITE stage if required. Any additional equipment required for hot-desking will need to be budgeted for.
• Triskel and IMC will assist with a MARKETING and PR Plan, and provide existing marketing resources e.g., social media, PR etc. Any extra marketing, e.g., commercial advertising, will have to be budgeted for
• For a current list of tech resources and backline at Triskel please click here.
• For a list of backline and tech resources currently available at IMC’s Space Programme, please click here. (Please note, this is subject to change.)

NOTE: We recommend that artists clarify any queries they may have regarding backline, resources or any other matters in ADVANCE of applying, by emailing admin@improvisedmusic.ie for queries regarding IMC’s Space Programme and residencies@triskelartscentre.ie for queries regarding Triskel Arts Centre. Either address may be used for general enquiries regarding the residency. To increase your chances of success, please make these queries in good time ahead of the application deadline. 

BUDGET SPEC

• Fees paid to artists and arts workers must comply with the Arts Council’s “Paying the Artist” policy.
• Any technical equipment, instruments etc. not already available at Triskel or at IMC’s Space Programme will have to be budgeted for.
• Any specialised requirements or specialised technical assistance will need to be budgeted for e.g., piano tuning, sound engineering, lighting design, etc.
• Any specialised marketing or commercial advertising will have to be costed and budgeted for.
• For RECORD and PERFORM elements provide costs associated with these separately e.g., rehearsals, engineering, technical, equipment, printing, distribution etc. Fees related to recording MUST form a part of your budget, they will not be covered otherwise.
• We recommend that you allow 10% of the overall budget for contingency though this is not a requirement.
• We recommend that your proposed budget is as detailed as possible. For any queries regarding budget, please email admin@improvisedmusic.ie or residencies@triskelartscentre.ie

A sample budget is available HERE. To use this as a basis for your application, go to File and Make a Copy in the Google sheet. You can use File – Download – PDF, to download the final budget as a PDF which can then be included in your application document.

GDPR

All information submitted as part of your application will be held in line with Triskel Arts Centre’s Data Protection Policy. Information supplied in the application will only be used by Triskel Arts Centre for the purposes of administering and managing this scheme. You may withdraw your consent to the retention of the information relating to your application at any point by sending an email to residencies@triskelartscentre.ie

TRISKEL ARTS CENTRE CLG IS FUNDED BY THE ARTS COUNCIL / AN CHOMHAIRLE EALAÍON AND CORK CITY COUNCIL. IMPROVISED MUSIC COMPANY IS FUNDED BY THE ARTS COUNCIL.