GROWING COMPOSERS: VISBY RESIDENCIES

THE VISBY RESIDENCIES EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

The exchange programme between the Visby International Composers Centre (VICC) and NewMusicSA is now in its second year.

The exchange originally came about during a visit to VICC by Michael Blake and Christine Lucia to the VICC in December 2006, when it was arranged with VICC Director Ramon Anthin to hold two places per year specially for young composers in NewMusicSA, under the Growing Composers project. This residency comes with free accommodation and use of a music studio in Visby for 3-4 weeks. In 2007 the Swedish concert agency Concert Sweden (Rikskonserter) also gave SEK20 000 towards air travel, and in 2008 SAMRO are giving R20 000.

Visby Residencies in 2007

In December 2007 two young composers applied (via NMSA Web site, this page) and went to Visby for a month's residency:

• Clare Loveday
• Paul Hanmer

Visby Residencies in 2008/9

The two applicants who successfully applied for residencies in 2008/9 are:

• Lloyd Prince from Grahamstown
• James Webb from Cape Town

Lloyd will go from 12 January to 4 Febuary 2009, and James during March 2009.

Visby Residencies in 2010

Applications are now open for two residencies in early 2010 — see Visby Application Form below. The closing date is 31 December 2008.

Clockwise, from top: Composers' Hall (VICC) Visby, main square of the old town. Gotland Ferry on a midwinter's afternoon, view from Composers' Hall. Carlquist Villa (opposite Composers' Hall) where composers are accommodated in a centrally-heated, self-catering flat. Composers' Hall (on the right), showing view over Visby harbour.

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GUIDELINES AND CONDITIONS FOR APPLICANTS

Applicants who wish to apply for a 4-week residency in 2010 should be South Africans between the ages of 25 and 45, already composing independently without guidance, as there is no tuition included in the residency. They should preferably be members of designated groups who have not had much opportunity to take up a funded composition residency before. They must be prepared to stay for between 3 and 4 weeks at the VICC in Nov-Dec, and on their return they must report back to NMSA, share some of the fruits of their work at VICC with colleagues in SA, and assist with organizing composers' workshops at the following New Music Indaba.

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SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

The NMA Board will consider all the applications and select two names on the basis of age, readiness for a residency, appropriateness of proposal for work to be done at VICC, complementarity of the applicants, and representivity of designated groups. Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be informed immediately, and successful applicants will be asked to put in a formal application to the VICC as well, which will go with the endorsement of the President of the SA section of the ISCM.

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VISBY 2010 APPLICATION FORM

Kindly complete the online Visby Application Form.

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FURTHER INFO

Any queries may be sent to:

For more information on the Visby International Composers Centre and Visby, see: www.centreforcomposers.org

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