SCAPA, Phoenix Rousiamanis and Mcr4Pal to create new works celebrating Manchester’s thriving underground music scene

15 August 2024 - Press release

 

Brighter Sound, producer of the WOMEX 24 legacy programme, have revealed the successful applicants of ‘Creative Commissions’, three pieces of innovative new work, all with forward thinking performance styles & approaches, which will be showcased alongside WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo) in October.  Artists, collectives, promoters and labels from Greater Manchester were invited to apply with the successful applicants given a £5,000 budget to bring their idea to life. 

 

The ‘Creative Commissions’ are:  

MCR4PAL x Radio Alhara                                                                                                                                       

MCR4PA are a group of artists, promoters and DJs based in Manchester who came together in 2023 to advocate for solidarity with the people and artists of Palestine. Radio Alhara is a Palestinian online radio station broadcasting from Bethlehem since its launch in March 2020.                                       

This project will build on MCR4PAL and Radio Alhara’s partnership by linking Manchester and Palestinian artists for a remote/digital collaboration which will result in new creative work in the form of an EP release, radio show and a listening party.

 

SCAPA with Nsɛbɛ 

SCAPA is a multidisciplinary Manchester based creative making waves as a Music Producer, DJ, Engineer and Host.

Nsɛbɛ is a three-track audio-visual project, made in collaboration with Accra (Ghana) artists and rooted in a new Afro-Electro genre. This will be presented as an immersive audio installation with projected visuals at a listening party. Each track will be accompanied by snippets of interviews, recordings of Accra soundscapes and stories, allowing the audience to take in the context of the music and become familiar with the artists.

 

Phoenix Rousiamanis

Phoenix Rousiamanis is a composer, songwriter of electronic and concert music and a performer.

This project will see her creating a multimedia piece with electronic sound, video, dance and performance that pays tribute to Manchester’s queer communities and specifically ballroom culture. Similar to queer communities creating safe havens in the contemporary barren political and environmental climate, Phoenix wants to pluck out moments of beauty from industrial and violent sound-worlds and highlight the concepts of queer perseverance, compassion and love.

Jonas Roberts, Senior Programme Manager at Brighter Sound said: "These three projects showcase a corner of Manchester’s thriving, cutting edge music cultures. They show us that the future of music is full of possibility through cross-medium collaboration and global connectivity in grassroots music scenes.”

These commissions are part of WE, THE LEADERS, the WOMEX 24 legacy programme which also includes a leadership programme, roundtables and a youth-led music conference.

With its overarching theme of ‘New Voices, New Work, Next Steps’, the programme will animate the city during WOMEX 24 and ensure a long-lasting impact beyond the event,  benefiting thousands of young people, music creators and professionals.

WOMEX 24 will take place in Manchester between 23-27 October with 2,600 of the world’s music industry from 90 different countries expected to attend. Manchester Central will host the main daytime conference and trade fair, with live music showcases, club nights and films at Albert Hall, Aviva Studios, Manchester Central, O2 Ritz Manchester, The Bridgewater Hall and HOME. The evening showcases will be open to the public, with audiences able to experience a mix of musical genres and styles, including folk, roots, jazz and electronic, with artists representing diverse cultures and regions from around the globe.

For more information about the Creative Commissions visit the Brighter Sound website or Instagram. For public tickets to WOMEX 24 visit the WOMEX Festival website, or for more information about attending as a music industry delegate visit the main WOMEX website.