Ar hyn of bryd mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.
Ar hyn of bryd mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.
Ar hyn of bryd mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.
+44 (0)29 2063 5640
CoDI Arrange!
Develop your arranging practice with mentors Patrick Rimes and Paula Gardiner
Calling traditional and jazz musicians from Wales.
Arrange! is a creative development opportunity for six musicians based in Wales who want to develop their arranging skills in a supportive, collaborative environment.
The programme will bring together three musicians working primarily in traditional music and three working primarily in jazz, creating a unique space where participants can learn from one another, exchange ideas and explore different approaches to arranging across genres.
Whether you're already arranging regularly or you're beginning to explore arranging for the first time, this pathway offers the opportunity to experiment, develop new skills and expand your creative practice under the guidance of experienced mentors Patrick Rimes and Paula Gardiner.
We encourage applications from musicians at any stage of their career, whether or not they have received formal musical education. We welcome those who work by ear, through notation, improvisation, or any combination of these approaches, and invite applications from musicians working in either Welsh or English. We are committed to supporting participants from a wide range of musical and cultural backgrounds.
If you feel your musical practice would benefit from dedicated time to develop your arranging skills alongside a cohort of fellow musicians, we'd love to hear from you.
ABOUT THE PATHWAY
This pathway explores arranging in its broadest sense. Whether you're reimagining an existing tune, creating parts for an ensemble, developing harmonies, shaping textures, or finding new ways to present traditional or jazz repertoire, the programme will support you to develop your own approach to arranging.
Participants will work on a series of arranging exercises and creative projects, developing their ideas between sessions and sharing work with the mentors.
The online workshops are designed as supportive and collaborative spaces where musicians can explore new techniques, test ideas and receive feedback from mentors. Alongside practical arranging activities, sessions will explore a range of topics including texture, instrumentation, harmony, form, improvisation and arranging for ensembles.
Through all of our CoDI programmes, we hope to create welcoming spaces to take risks in your work: to challenge yourself, experiment, and expand your music in new (and sometimes unfamiliar!) directions.
Between workshops, participants will continue developing their arrangements independently, supported through one-to-one sessions with the mentors and the Tŷ Cerdd team. This support may include creative guidance, technical advice, score preparation and feedback on works in progress.
When applying, please consider the time commitment involved in developing your work between sessions.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY 'TRADITIONAL MUSIC'?
For the purposes of these pathways, we define traditional music as music that has been passed between people and generations through listening, participation, adaptation and performance. It includes music rooted in the traditions of Wales and those brought here from other cultures and communities, recognising that traditions are living, evolving and continually shaped by the people who practise them today.
DATES
The pathway includes two in-person sessions at Tŷ Cerdd Studio, online group workshops, and one-to-one mentoring.
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Saturday 26 September 2026 – Introductory workshop (in person, Tŷ Cerdd Studio, 10:00–17:30)
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October 2026 - January 2027 – Three online group workshops (2 hours each), with dates agreed between participants, the mentors and the Tŷ Cerdd team
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Friday 12 February 2027 – Final sharing session (in person, Tŷ Cerdd Studio, 10:00–17:30; this session may be recorded)
Participants will also receive one-to-one mentoring between workshops. Mentoring sessions will be arranged at mutually convenient times between participants and the mentors.
Please ensure you are available for the two in-person dates before applying, and that you can commit time between sessions to developing your arrangements.
FEES AND EXPENSES
Each participating composer will receive a payment of £500 (in addition to expenses for travel within Wales, and accommodation where necessary).
WHO ARE WE?
Tŷ Cerdd – Music Wales is committed to supporting and developing new music from Wales of all genres. Artists taking part in our pathways come from every genre and musical background, with or without formal training. Our CoDI 2026-27 programme celebrates experimentation, encouraging the creation of ambitious, original music made in Wales.
Paula Gardiner is best known for her work as jazz bassist and composer, based in Wales. However, her professional career began as a classical guitarist and composer for theatre. She has written extensively for theatre, radio and film. Paula calls herself 'The Accidental Bassist', as a number of coincidences found her playing firstly electric bass in an afro-cuban band, and then double bass for Cardiff’s jazz club, The Four Bars Inn, providing the rhythm section for a host of visiting international artists. During the nineties and noughties, Paula founded several bands including the Paula Gardiner Quartet, 6, the Paula Gardiner Trio and the anarchic big band that was Wales’s Jazz Composers (featuring Huw Warren). She has worked internationally, taking her own music to the US and composing/conducting a major project in Wales and South Africa for the cultural Olympiad, 2012. Paula retired as Head of Jazz at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2023, having established the current courses and AmserJazz series since starting at the college in 2001. She is an active member of the Ivors Academy, Jazz Explorers Cymru and Jazz Promotion Network.
Patrick Rimes is a musician, composer, arranger and educator from north Wales.
Born and raised in Eryri, he got his early musical experiences with William Mathias
music service, as well as learning traditional music through the vibrant local scene,
before going on to study classical violin and viola at Leeds University, Janáčkovo
Akademie Muzických in Brno, Czech Republic and the Royal Welsh College of Music
and Drama.
As a founder member of both Calan and VRï he has toured extensively in the UK,
Europe and North America, and released multiple acclaimed studio albums. He has
appeared as a soloist with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of London
Sinfonia and Sinfonia Cymru.
Despite crossing many genres, traditional music is always at the heart of his practice and as a teacher he enjoys sharing the joys of Welsh music with his students, at events such as Ffidil Fawr and at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible to apply if you:
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are creating original music
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have been based in Wales for at least one year, or were born in Wales and now live elsewhere
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are aged 18 or over
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can commit to attending all workshop dates in person.
This pathway welcomes applications from artists working with standard notation as well as those whose creative practice uses oral, improvised, graphic or alternative approaches to creating and communicating music.
When applying, please also consider the time commitment involved in developing your work between workshops. Score deadlines will fall in advance of each session to allow performers adequate preparation time.
Travel expenses are available for journeys within Wales only.
We particularly encourage applications from artists who:
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have not had formal composition/music training, or have come to music through DIY routes
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have faced socio-economic and/or systemic barriers to opportunities to develop their practice or music in the past
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identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent
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are Black, Asian or from the global majority
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identify as LGBTQIA+
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are working-class.
If you’re interested, but you have some questions…
…we can chat with you directly by phone or Zoom. Email or call to arrange a chat.
HOW TO APPLY
Upload the following information to our online PORTAL
1. Personal details: your name, preferred pronouns, email address, mobile number, address, plus confirmation that you are over 18.
2. Tell us about your practice: Tell us what you love to do as an artist/music-creator and what you’ve been most proud of. As part of your answer, please tell us whether you use musical notation, and how you make your work. (Max 200 words)
3. Why are you interested in this pathway? (max. 400 words)
Please tell us:
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Why you'd like to develop your arranging skills
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What you hope to learn through the programme
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How you think it will influence your creative practice
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Any arrangement experience you may have
4. Examples of your work: please include links to two pieces of your music (NB: please send links rather than sound or video files; if you need help creating links, contact enquiries@tycerdd.org.) Please choose examples that best reflect your music now and/or are relevant to your approach to this opportunity.
5. Do you have any access requirements or other information that you would like to share with us?
At Tŷ Cerdd, we follow the social model of disability – recognising that barriers exist in environments, and societal structures, not in people themselves. We invite you to share details of any support you may need to enable you to participate in this pathway, but this is entirely optional at this stage of your application. You will also be invited to share and discuss your access riders and requirements with us at any point in the project should you be offered a place on the programme.
Any access information provided to us at this stage will not be shared with the panel unless you request for it to be included as part of your application (please note this below).
Alternative application formats
Applications are also welcomed in audio or video format.
Please record your responses to Questions 2 and 3 (up to four minutes in total) and upload a link to your recording, alongside the information requested in Questions 1, 4 and 5.
If you need help creating or sharing a recording, please contact jordan.pricewilliams@tycerdd.org or enquiries@tycerdd.org.
CRITERIA
The panel will assess applications based on the following criteria:
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The extent to which the applicant shows a strong and relevant creative approach to the pathway. NB this does not mean you need to apply with a fixed project idea; rather that you show the panel how this opportunity is relevant to your creative approach and the direction of your work
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The extent to which the applicant shows they/their music will benefit from this pathway at this time
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The extent to which the applicant demonstrates how they will benefit from the mentoring and cohort aspects of this pathway
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The originality, quality and potential shown in the music examples you submit
TIMELINE & PROCESS
Deadline for applications: Monday 17 August, 10am.
Decision communicated to applicants: on or before Friday 28 August.
Feedback will be available on request.
The selection panel will be Deborah Keyser, Jordan Price Williams with support from Patrick Rimes and Paula Gardiner.
QUESTIONS
If you'd like to discuss the opportunity before applying, we'd be happy to arrange a phone or Zoom conversation.
Please contact jordan.pricewilliams@tycerdd.org or enquiries@tycerdd.org.
We want to remove as many barriers to applying as possible, so if there's anything you'd like to discuss, please get in touch and we'll do our best to help.
