The Canadian League of Composers (CLC), in partnership with Sporobole, is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 PIVOT Mentorship Program.
Extended deadline: January 9, 2025 at 11:59pm PST.
PIVOT is a mentorship and artistic growth program for self-identified early-career Canadian artists working in music and sound, presented by the CLC, in partnership with various ensembles and organizations across the country.
This edition of PIVOT provides an opportunity for three composers/sound artists from across Canada to work directly with a mentor-artist over an extended period of time. After the selection process, PIVOT organizers consult with selected participants to identify mentors based on complementary artistic and learning goals. Participants will be guided by their mentors over a six-month period as they create a new installation/sound art/acousmatic work (without instruments) to be presented with Sporobole, one of Canada’s most innovative, dynamic, and exciting artist-run spaces.
From May 26 through June 13, an onsite residency will take place at Sporobole in Sherbrooke, QC. Participants will travel to Sherbrooke, QC for these events; due to the hands-on nature of working with sound and technology in the space, in-person participation is necessary for this iteration. Sporobole staff will be on site to assist with the space. The project will culminate in the public presentation of the three works in Sherbrooke.
Projects will have to be feasible within Sporobole’s working/presentation space and equipment (a list of available equipment at Sporobole can be found here). Details and photos of the interior space can be found here. There is also an exterior space or “sound window,” an outdoor linear device of 16 speakers integrated into Sporobole’s building facade (photos found here.) You can learn more about the outside space through Déjà-vu, an online diffusion platform of immersive and virtual sound works created from the 3D digitization of Sporobole’s outdoor space.
Sporobole staff will provide ongoing logistical/technical support for participants.
Eligibility Requirements
- Self-identified early-career artist working in music and sound (please feel free to contact PIVOT organizers if you have questions about your eligibility status)
- Training and/or experience in their artistic practice. Post-secondary training is not a requirement, nor is working within Western European practices/notation
- Anyone residing in Canada or Canadian citizens living abroad
- No age restriction
- Administrative Staff and Board / Council members of CLC and Sporobole are not eligible.
Submissions are encouraged in a wide variety of styles, reflecting the plurality of sonic arts today. Diversity in all its forms (race, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, language, physical ability, and age) will be a guiding factor. We particularly welcome applications from artists who are women, non-binary, trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, as well as artists from traditionally under-represented populations.
Technical Considerations: Sporobole has multiple working and presentation spaces, suitable for various projects from outdoor public installation to acousmatic musical works. Proposals should specify the type of space/presentation style you envision your work occupying. Exact technical specifications and possibilities to be discussed and confirmed with the organizers.
Project Timeline:
- Extended Application Deadline: January 9
- Jury process: late-December/early-January
- Participants notified, mentors selected: early January
- Writing and mentorship process: January – May
- Delivery of Draft Project, April 1
- January-June: Regular, Virtual Professional Development Sessions
- In-person residency in Sherbrooke: May 26-June 13
- Premiere presentation: June 12
Applicants must submit the following through the online form:
- Basic information (full name, address, phone, email);
- Current CV including a highlighted list of works with embedded links to streaming audio/video where available (maximum 3 pages, PDF document);
- A 250-word bio;
- Links to streaming audio/video recordings of 3 recent works (do not submit scores);
- Answer to three short questions (total word count should not exceed 1000)
Applications must be submitted through the ONLINE FORM by January 9, 2025 at 11:59pm PST.
Duration of program: January 2026 to Jun 2026
Finances: The CLC will provide a $1500 honouraria for composers’ artistic work, and $1500 for composers’ per diem during the 2 week residency in Sherbrooke. Accommodations will be provided at no cost by Sporobole in their residency space. The CLC will support composers in securing travel to and from Sherbrooke.
Selection: Three applicants will be selected by a four-person jury composed of a CLC board member, a representative from Sporobole’s artistic team, and two external jurors all facilitated by the CLC administrative team.
For further clarity on the assessment criteria used, please see the jury guidelines.
Contact:
August Murphy-King
General Manager, Canadian League of Composers
20 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1J9,
416.964.1364,
info@composition.org
The Canadian League of Composers acknowledges the financial support of SOCAN, the Osbertus Fund at the Vancouver Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Ontario Arts Council.
