ORDINARY OBJECTS is a supported professional development opportunity for artists outside of the field of music who want to explore sound and open up access to creative activities. Three ‘first-time composers’ will receive mentoring from James Saunders and musician Sarah Nicolls to create new pieces of music with everyday materials. These pieces will then be workshopped, performed and recorded by community volunteers who similarly have little to no musical experience.

What is it?

ORDINARY OBJECTS is a supported professional development opportunity for female or gender-diverse artists outside of the field of music who want to explore sound and open up access to creative activities.

Three ‘first-time composers’ will receive mentoring from James Saunders and musician Sarah Nicolls to create new pieces of music with everyday materials, such as packaging, phones, recycling, stationery and fabric.

These pieces will then be workshopped, performed and recorded by community volunteers who similarly have little to no musical experience.

James Saunders and Sarah Nicolls will support the first-time composers to notate their pieces which will then form part of a resource pack.

This pack will be shared with community, education and wellbeing organisations who are keen to find ways for their participants to explore making music.

Why?

CoMA aims to provide opportunities for everyone across our range of creative, participatory opportunities. ORDINARY OBJECTS seeks to reach people with no musical training and to provide their first experience of making new music.

This project is generously funded by the AHRC Impact Acceleration Account at Bath Spa University.

Timeline:

• Wednesday 10 June: Deadline to apply
• w/c Monday 22 June: Online interviews with applicants
• Tuesday 30 June: All applicants notified of their outcome
• Early July: Online welcome session with James and Sarah Nicolls
• July 2026 – March 2027: Individual and group mentoring sessions within this eight-month period
• August 2026 – January 2027: Core creative composing time
• January or February 2027: Two-day workshop at The Old Town Hall community arts centre, Trowbridge, with volunteer performers, culminating in performance and recording of pieces
• March 2027: Consolidation of scores for anthology; evaluation of project

Who can apply?

We are looking for three female or gender diverse* creative practitioners whose specialism is NOT related to music or sound. We are looking for people for whom this would be their first-time composing.

*By this we mean women and anyone who is trans, non binary, gender non-conforming, or whose gender does not conform to societal standards

Each ‘first-time composer’ will receive:

• Mentoring from James Saunders through individual and group meetings online over an eight-month period
• An honorarium of £800 to cover attending mentoring sessions, creative time and participation in the two-day, in-person workshop and recording of the pieces
• Travel bursaries and accommodation (if necessary) to attend the in-person sessions.

By creative practitioner, we mean:

• Anyone currently practising a creative artform other than music/sound (E.g. theatre-maker, creative director, visual artist, actor, facilitator, dancer, puppet maker etc)
• You have a minimum of three years’ experience in your field.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• Fit the creative practitioner description listed above
• Have little to no experience of performing or creating music of any genre
• Identify as female or gender diverse*
• Be aged 21+
• Be UK-based.

Desirable experiences and attributes:

• Experience working with community groups
• Demonstrable experience and commitment to opening up access to creative activities
• Experience of interdisciplinary working.
• We actively encourage applicants from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, including those from the Global Majority, d/Deaf and disabled people, those from working-class backgrounds and LGBTQ+ people. We also encourage applications from those without a university degree or equivalent qualification.

How do I apply?

To apply, please fill out the online application form.

The form will ask for the following attachments:

• One-page CV telling us about your creative practice
• A link to a sample of works, portfolio or link to your website (No more than three pages/five images/five minutes of video)
• A statement (300 words maximum) explaining why you want to take part and what you will bring to this project. You may want to include why you are interested in creating new music and your motivations for opening up access to creative experiences.

If you would prefer to submit a video statement, there is an option to include a URL. Please ensure that all links and videos submitted do not require a password.

Application deadline: 11.59 pm on Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Places are limited, so we will invite applicants to interview based on their statement, their enthusiasm for inclusive and collaborative practices and the quality of their creative practice. The final decision will be based on this and the interview.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an online interview in the week commencing Monday, 22 June 2026