Open call for opportunities at Brighton Early Music Festival in 2026 and 2027
Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) is inviting period-instrument performers to apply for two exciting opportunities: the innovative Dream Lab 2026 and concert proposals for the 2027 festival.
Founded in 2002, BREMF is dedicated to making Early Music relevant and exciting for today's audiences. It is now inviting project proposals for Dream Lab – three short, 25-minute experimental performance slots in this year's festival (2026), designed to act as miniature pilot concerts for new project ideas to try out on a willing and engaged audience. The three short concerts will take place on Sunday 4 October 2026.
The initiative is particularly aimed at established or mid-career UK-based musicians specialising in Early Music who can submit ideas that push the boundaries of their normal performance practice. Selected artists will receive a fee of up to £750 inclusive of travel, production support, and video documentation of their performance, as well as a hosted Q&A session with the audience immediately afterwards. The deadline for expressions of interest is 1 July 2026, and further information (including how to apply) can be found on BREMF's Dream Lab page.
BREMF is also now accepting concert proposals for its 2027 festival, themed Secrets, Ciphers and Skytales. The festival will explore the idea that music and language are infused with subtle codes of communication and invites programme ideas that delve into hidden musical messages. For example, this might be where musical cyphers are used to hide meaning, works where composers have hidden words or names within the musical material, or stories of musical espionage in historical courts.
Applications for next year's festival are open until August. Find full information, including a Concert Proposal Form, at https://www.bremf.org.uk/apply/.
Want to read more about Brighton Early Music Festival? Check out our interview with Hannah Ely, Olwen Foulkes and Satoko Doi-Luck ahead of last year's performance of Duval's 'Les Caractères de l'amour' 💘