Nearly all of our projects have been original commissions, but here we focus on some of the ones that have had wider, longer or deeper impact and legacy.
Polly Eldridge, Sound UK’s Director, says:
“Working with artists has been an immense privilege and pleasure. Starting our artist development programme Sound Generator and seeing these hugely talented individuals grow has been incredibly rewarding.”
Sound Generator
In 2021 we launched Sound Generator, our artist development scheme to support early career artists and the work they present. Running for 4 years, with the support of funding from Arts Council England and PRS Foundation, it supported early-career artists to test and seed the development of ambitious new projects.
The 6-month programme provided artists with the time and space to develop their ideas, supported by a national network of industry experts. Each year, the programme supported 6 music and sound artists in the first 5-10 years of their professional career.
Over 55% of artists have gone on to have their projects commissioned following involvement in the programme.
“Sound Generator support has been transformative for me as an artist and the expansion of the programme, which now continues to offer support to alumni, has helped me develop new skills and contacts that play an integral role in my current projects.” Gwen Siôn, Sound Generator Artist 2023
Find out more about each of our artist development cohorts: Sound Generator artists 2024 | Sound Generator artists 2023 | Sound Generator artists 2022 | Sound Generator artists 2021
Sound Generator Artists 2023
Hack-Poets Guild / Broadside Ballads
Back in 2017, we brought together 3 of the UK’s most innovative folk artists to reinvent a collection of British Broadsides – low cost daily song sheets sold for pence - giving a rare insight into Britain’s music, literary and political history.
Delving into the collection of Broadsides at the Bodleian Libraries and beyond, artists Sam Lee, Lisa Knapp and Nathaniel Mann led a five-piece band on tour in 2017.
The Covid-19 pandemic postponed plans for their 2nd tour and the project became an album recorded remotely throughout 2020. Due to other commitments, Sam Lee was replaced by Marry Waterson.
The new group, renamed Hack-Poets Guild, released their debut album on One Little Independent and toured around the UK in March 2023. The album received great critical acclaim and was featured in the top ten albums of the year lists in Mojo, The Guardian and Trad Folk, to name a few.
Hack-Poets Guild went on to play WOMAD and Cambridge Folk Festival in 2024, and are now working on a second album.
“Showcases how three idiosyncratic voices can come together to create something truly extraordinary.” Uncut Magazine – 9/10 review.
“An unmitigated, life-affirming triumph.” God is in the TV Zine (live review)
Find out more on our event pages: Hack-Poets Guild 2023 | Broadside Ballads 2017
Watch the music video for Daring Highwayman:
A Song for Us
A Song for Us was our nationwide project created to mark the Covid-19 pandemic and celebrated the power of music to bring people together.
The project commissioned a wide range of composers and songwriters to write a song for amateur adult and children’s choirs to mark our sense of community and experiences during the pandemic. In 2021-22, thanks to an additional grant from Arts Council England, we were able to expand the project to a further 10 counties.
In total we commissioned 14 county songs, providing work for 17 artists from a range of genres to write new songs for community choirs around the country. The project engaged 680 performers, primarily younger and older age groups, with 43% aged 12-25 and 19% aged 65+. 61 songwriting workshops across the country helped 405 adults and young people to write their own songs about their pandemic experience.
The project was hosted online where films of the commissioned songs, plus over 600 songs uploaded by members of the public could be heard on a music map. This high profile project generated major press coverage including the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, The Times and Sky News.
“A Song For Us allowed us to have a high quality creative collaboration with musicians and singers from across our local area. It very much supported the message that creativity can be a light in dark times, and this allowed us to stay connected and engaged in a positive way.” Graham Whitehead, Junction Goole
“Being involved in this project has made my hopes and dreams seem possible.” School student
Find out more on our project page: A Song for Us
Watch the project film:
High Street Sound Walks
In 2021, in partnership with Historic England and the National Trust, we commissioned 9 artists to produce a series of 6 new self-guided, immersive sound walks to help people discover the magic of their local streets.
Each soundwalk was co-created with local people to bring hidden histories and stories to life, helping listeners to see their high streets in a new light.
These were launched online as part of National Trust’s Heritage Open Days in September 2021.
“The project encouraged people to look beyond the shop fronts. There was unanimous positive feedback from audiences.” Local partner
“It gave me a new way of looking at the high street.” Audience member
Find out more on our project page: High Street Sound Walks
Listen to Barrovia by Dan Fox - a High Street Sound Walk for Barrow-in-Furness:
Sonic Journeys
Sonic Journeys was a series of soundtracks that we commissioned for specific journeys. The series commissioned artists to create new works in response to journeys that inspire them. These works were recorded and then available for free download for a limited period, enabling listeners to experience the music travelling through the landscape that inspired it.
In 2009, we commissioned Will Gregory from Goldfrapp to write a Sonic Journey for a walk in the Malvern Hills for Big Chill Festival. In 2011, we commissioned Mica Levi to create a Sonic Journey for a walk at Barbican Centre and in 2012 Adrian Utley from Portishead created a Sonic Journey for a walk through ancient trees at National Trust’s Croft Castle & Parkland. In 2016, we commissioned composer Gavin Bryars and poet Blake Morrision to create a sonic journey for the train journey from Goole (Bryars' birthplace) to Hull (or vice versa). Commissioned for Yorkshire Festival 2016 and Hull City of Culture 2017.
Hosted online, we also encouraged members of the public to record and upload their own Sonic Journeys to the project website. Sonic Journeys were uploaded from all over Europe, including journeys for walks in Kew Gardens, London, Bregenz in Austria and South Western Transylvania.
Find out more on our project pages: Sonic Journeys | Sonic Journeys 2017
Sonic Journey - Gavin Bryars and Blake Morrison 'The Stopping Train':
Sound UK's online flyer archive - 25 years of extraordinary musical encounters
Explore our online flyer archive to see the variety of projects we have commissioned and produced over the last 25 years.
