London Sinfonietta — Writing the Future 2027

Writing the Future selects four composers or other music creators to write a new piece for an ensemble of up to six London Sinfonietta musicians, starting in March 2027 and reaching the stage as part of the ensemble's 2028/29 season. It pays a bursary alongside a separate research and development budget, with workshop time among the musicians and ongoing artistic mentoring built into the scheme — the exact bursary figure isn't published. It's aimed squarely at people who wouldn't usually see themselves as a fit for a contemporary-ensemble commission: early-career writers, first-time applicants to development schemes, and non-classical practitioners such as sound artists and improvisers are explicitly welcomed, alongside creators from across the UK and from under-represented groups. You need to be 18 or over, have the right to live in the UK, and stay UK-resident for the whole scheme. The brief is open rather than prescriptive — the work should push at what a contemporary ensemble can do and also be new territory within your own practice. You apply with a form (online or as a Word document) plus an information pack available on the London Sinfonietta's site, and you're asked, separately and anonymously, to complete an equality and diversity monitoring form that the selection panel never sees. Applications close 5pm on 11 December 2026, with no late submissions accepted.