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close-up image of sheet music with a pencil resting on top of the paper in the upper right corner.

Call for Submissions: sound.colLAB 2.0

sound.colLAB 2.0 is an exciting paid opportunity for artists with disabilities to partner with a world-renowned composer to create an anthemic orchestral piece.

First, the selected group of artists will share musical ideas and personal experiences to serve as raw material and inspiration for the composition. Once a creative direction has been agreed upon by the group, they will partner with a professional composer to bring their ideas to life. Across an iterative collaboration process, participants will learn about music transcription (the process of translating musical ideas onto the page), arrangement (organizing melodies, harmonies, and rhythms), orchestration (choosing which instruments to use), and more.

Throughout the collaborative process, artists will be encouraged to assert their creative intentions and provide constructive feedback to develop the music. The goal of this program is to build participant confidence in their creative and critical abilities and showcase musical ideas from the disability community. The professional composer may be the one transcribing, arranging, and orchestrating the piece, but the final work will reflect the creative will of the group.

ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS AND GUIDELINES

All Canadian artists living with disabilities are encouraged to apply, particularly those with musical experience. The NaAC will select three artists from within our local Calgary community and three artists currently living outside the Calgary area. The artists will be chosen from the pool of applicants by a jury of NaAC arts professionals involved in the project. The jury will base their decisions on the following criteria:

  • The artist’s creative and professional goals are related to the field of music
  • The artist is actively building their artistic practice towards professionalization, or has already worked professionally in their medium 
  • The artist is willing to share their musical ideas and have those ideas be shaped and transformed through collaboration
  • The artist is willing to share personal stories, both positive and negative, that have shaped their experiences as someone moving through the world with a disability
  • The artist is excited to build connections with other artists living with disabilities

APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 17th, 2026 at 11:59 PM ABT (Alberta Time)

NOTIFICATIONS: Late October

APPLY

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