Courses and small grants

A young percussionist with long dark hair and medium light skin tone stands in from of a marimba, smiling and holding her mallets

Honing new skills and techniques with support from peers and industry experts

 

Skills development courses

We’ve run courses covering everything from recording techniques, Braille music, and composing for assistive technology. These courses are co-designed with Paraorchestra members, who often act as paid facilitators, and invite speakers and collaborators from across the world to share their knowledge.

The Ideas Fund

Just as our performances seek to push the boundaries of live performance, we encourage the same intrepid experimentation amongst our ensemble. Paraorchestra members can apply for The Ideas Fund - small funding grants of £1000 - £2000 - to develop early-stage concepts with live performance at their core. 

Since its launch in Summer 2024, over a dozen musicians have participated in the The Ideas Fund, exploring subjects as diverse as Welsh folk songs, CGI animation, and queer love stories. 

Image gallery

  • Two men in casual dress with light skin tone, one of them a wheelchair user, sit in a practice room surrounded by cables, effects pedals and other hardware
  • Two musicians, one holding a natural horn and wearing a pair of gloves covered with LEDs and wires, look intently at a laptop together.
  • Two cellists and a double bass player converse in a recording studio
  • A singer with vivid dip-dyed black and red hair and medium dark skin tone reads braille sheet music in a recording studio
  • A man with glasses, short strawberry-blond hair and light skin tone gesticulates to a room of seated musicians as he talks