Colchester New Music is a cooperative of composers based in East Anglia, reaching out to London and the south of England. We consist of composers of all ages – from students to professionals – and our aim is to build opportunities for all our members to fulfil their potential through training workshops, sharing skills, advice and support and providing a range of performance opportunities. As with most composer collectives, funding presents a challenge, so we strive to share what each member can offer to the group. We are always looking to expand, develop and grow our membership – if you are interested in joining us, please explore the “Members” submenu above.

One of the ways we create opportunities is through collaboration. Locally to Colchester we have had collaborations with the Colchester Institute, the Colchester Sixth Form College, firstsite and the Moot Hall Organ restoration project. Further afield, we have collaborated with the Composers of Wales and the Sonic Arts Network. In the past we have worked with a variety of ensembles (including professional ensembles such as Gemini and Ixion) and composers such as Tansy Davies and Michael Finnissy. We are passionate about working with a range of ensembles, including amateur, student, semi-professional and professional ensembles. We are actively seeking ensembles to collaborate with, so if you are interested in working with us, please get in touch.

We aim to present or collaborate in multiple Calls for Scores, performances and other events per year. In the past we have been grateful to receive funding from organisations such as Arts for All, Arts in Essex, BT, Colchester Borough Council, the Arts Council of England (Making Music) and the Performing Rights Society Foundation, who have helped support our ambitious projects.