If you need this information in a different format, please email Hannah on hannah@coventrypride.org.uk

CLASSICALLY QUEERCoventry Pride and Coventry City of Culture Trust in partnership with Coventry Cathedral

CALL OUT: CV BASED MUSICIANS Issued: 1st June 2021Deadline: 1st July

Summary: Coventry City of Culture 2021 in partnership with Coventry Pride is excited to hear from local LGBTQI+ musicians who would like to form part of our Queer

music ensemble!

Context:Coventry City of Culture Trust was set up in 2015 to bid to be UK City of Culture in 2021. Now that we have been successful in securing the prestigious title, we are working to build a cultural programme that reflects Coventry, its people and its ambitions for the future. We are a diverse, modern city which is re-imagining the role culture can play in bringing people together. Coventry is a city of welcome, a city of activists and pioneers, a city of peace and reconciliation, a city of innovation and invention, a City of Culture. 

The Trust is committed to:  

• Welcoming 2.5m additional visitors to Coventry in 2021 • 80% of the city’s residents experiencing at least three events in 2021 • Increasing audience attendance from under-represented communities by

20% • Activating more than 16,000 volunteers and participants • Making long-lasting, tangible social change in Coventry • Transforming who holds the power to create and curate in the city • Starting a wave of cultural investment across the region 

 

The programme for the year will feature large scale mass participation spectacle and intimate moments of wonder. music, dance, theatre and poetry as well as many more celebratory cultural and heritage experiences in every ward of the city. The programme will touch on the city’s rich history, heritage and diverse communities whilst taking a bold, future-facing approach, exploring narratives about the most pressing issues for our citizens, country and planet in the years to come.

About the Project

Coventry Pride presents this event in the Cathedral Ruins for a special performance of classical and contemporary music, celebrating the best of LGBTQI+ musicians in the region. Inspired by the story of gay composer, Benjamin Britten, who wrote the War Requiem op.66 for the consecration of the new Cathedral in 1962, this new Queer music ensemble will play together in Coventry for the first time ever. 

Kicking of the first of a series of events in co-production with Coventry City of Culture 2021, this concert invites groups and families of up to 6 to pack a picnic and join us for this momentous and uplifting experience. Personal stories and presentations from the musicians will accompany the selected musical pieces, unearthing unheard voices and the lived experiences of Coventry's LGBTQI+ music community.

The Brief

Coventry Pride is a local charity in Coventry, which exists to support, celebrate and advocate for LGBTQI communities. In partnership with Coventry City of Culture 2021 is excited to hear from local LGBTQI+ musicians who would like to form part of our Queer music ensemble!

You need to be able to learn music quickly (playing by ear or by sheet) and you should be confident and proficient in your playing - enough to play along with others well.

We are looking for anyone 18+ who lives within the CV postcode area.

If selected, you will work with a brilliant Musical Director to familiarise yourself with the musical set and you’ll be invited to help to shape the storytelling elements of the show.

The music for the event will be a mixture of timeless classical pieces and more modern numbers, including well known Queer musical pieces.

If selected, each musician will:

Perform twice on Saturday 17th July in the Coventry Cathedral Ruins Attend two compulsory, in person rehearsals on the evenings of July 10th and

July 16th. (The rehearsal venue will be shared with successful candidates but will be within Coventry – please do pencil these in your diary if applying)

Work remotely and independently to rehearse the full set w/c 11th July Be invited to (non essential!) share a 2-minute personal story* about:

1. What music means to you / how you came to music2. An inspiring composer or musician who represents the LGBTQI

community that you admire / want to talk about (from present or past)3.

*Please note not all stories will be able to be featured that are submitted due to event timings, but we will endeavour to feature all stories on our Pride website.

We are open to musicians playing any instrument but the final orchestral group will be decided on the arrangement of the Music Director.

Each musician should have the following skills, experiences and qualities: Be able to play to an intermediate level Able to play with others well as part of a group Have experience of jam / session playing with new musicians Be a warm and patient musician who is inclusive and respectful of the

whole LGBTQI community

Eligibility Criteria Applicants must:

Be part of the LGBTQI community and aged 18+ (though you will not be asked to disclose how you identify)

Have a CV postcode Have access to their own instruments throughout the duration of the rehearsal

and delivery period Be available for the full day on Saturday 17th July Attend two compulsory, in person rehearsals on the evenings of July 10th and

July 16th ( The rehearsal venue will be shared with successful candidates – please do pencil these in your diary if applying)

Committ to work remotely and independently to rehearse the full set w/c 11th July

We work with people from a wide range of backgrounds, and we are keen to hear from a diverse range of candidates with different perspectives, experience and

knowledge. We particularly welcome interest from disabled candidates as well as Black, Asian and people of the global majority who are LGBTQI.

FeeThe fee for this work will be £650

Selection Process

If you meet the criteria above, you will be selected based on the recordings you send by a Musical Director. They will choose an ensemble of musicians who play a range of instruments they believe will compliment and create the best sound for the concert.

Your ApplicationPlease present your Application as follows:

1. A short audio clip or video (up to 2 mins) of you playing your instrument alone. You may choose your choice of song.

2. Please also include an additional short audio recording OR written intro covering

Your location in Coventry or Warwickshire Your age Confirmation you are available for all dates specified A bit about why you want to join to play at this event (Optional) Portfolio, links to your website or examples of your work Please include your email, address and phone number.

Please send all Applications to Hannah@coventrypride.org.uk by 9am on July 1st

Timeline

Deadline for Applications: 9am on July 1st Successful candidates notified by July 6th Rehearsals: Saturday 10th July (Daytime) & Friday 16th July (eve) Performances: Saturday 17th July (all day)

Access and Support StatementWe are committed to ensuring everyone can take part in this opportunity. If you have specific disability support requirements, please get in touch using the details below to discuss how we can meet your support or adjustment needs.

Equal OpportunitiesWe would appreciate it if you would complete our Equal Opportunities Form when you submit your application. This data is anonymous but helps the Trust to understand who is applying for our creative opportunities, ensuring that we are constantly working to share them as widely as possible.

Any Questions?If you have any questions, have disability access support requirements or would like

any assistance with the language and terminology in this document please contact Hannah Graham (Lead Producer) hannah@coventrypride.org.uk who will be able to discuss further and/or arrange support for you.