NEW WAVE: OUR PLATFORM FOR EMERGING ARTISTS
Our New Wave programme seeks to nurture emerging artists and creatives at the start of their professional careers, by offering performance opportunities, cash prizes, and grant support. We are delighted to announce opportunities for 2025 in Music and Art.
(Photo above: New Wave Art Competition 2024 winners exhibition at City Lit; photo by Stuart Keegan)
NEW WAVE 2025 CONCERT SERIES – PROPOSAL CALL OUT
As part of our commitment to showcasing emerging artists, we produce a daytime concert series featuring outstanding young musicians. If you fit the following criteria, we invite you to send us a proposal to be part of the series this year:
- We are open to proposals from all genres including classical, jazz and folk
- You should be studying music at tertiary level, or be a recent graduate at the start of your career
- You can apply as a soloist, or as a group (up to 4 musicians max)
- We encourage your proposal to take some inspiration from our theme this year of The Paths We Tread
- The concert length should be between 45-50 min
Deadline for proposals: 6pm, Thursday 8 May 2025. We will select 5 proposals that will feature in Bloomsbury Festival 2025 (17 – 19 October).
> Click here to download full details of this opportunity and how to apply (pdf)
NEW WAVE 2025 ART PRIZE
A competition for emerging professional artists to submit a new artwork (or series of artworks). The winner will be offered a unique opportunity to hold their own exhibition in the Gallery at City Lit as part of the Bloomsbury Festival 2025.
- You should be a current undergraduate or postgraduate student of any age on Fine Art and related courses at London universities, colleges, or other training schemes for professional artists
- The artwork(s) should respond to the festival theme The Paths We Tread – this theme has been inspired by a project we have ongoing which explores the people and history of Bloomsbury
- Your submission may be a completely new work, a recently completed work, or an artwork you are currently creating as part of art studies
- We invite artworks on paper, canvas or other 2D media including painting and photography
Deadline for proposals: 6pm, Thursday 8 May 2025. The winning artist will be selected by a panel of experts, professional artists, and influential festival partners, including the Duchess of Bedford, the Director of Bloomsbury Festival and the Head of School, Visual Arts at City Lit.
> Click here to download full details of this opportunity and how to apply (pdf)
MASTERCLASS DRAWING & ILLUSTRATION WORKSHOPS
Leading to Outdoor Exhibition
We invite emerging artists with a special interest in drawing and illustration to take part in a series of 4 free workshops to create a contemporary response to historic illustrations related to the local area.
The workshops will be based at City Lit art department in their drawing and illustration workshop rooms, but may also include visits to local archives such as the British Museum. Two of the masterclasses will be led by Drawing and Illustration lecturers from City Lit, and two by Professor Dryden Goodwin of UCL Slade School of Fine Art.
The workshops will lead to the group contributing to an outdoor exhibition as part of Bloomsbury Festival 2025 to take placealongside other music and talks related to the heritage project Strange Doings in London: The Songs and Ballads of St Giles.
15 places are available which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis to those with suitable experience. There is no charge for these workshops. Preference will be given to attendees who can come to all 4 workshops and will be able to complete work selected for exhibition over the summer months. However if you are interested but may not be available for all sessions, please do still apply. Apply by 6pm, Thursday 8 May 2025.
> Click here to download full details of this opportunity and how to apply (pdf)