PRS Foundation's UK and Republic of Ireland co-commissioning and touring initiative, Beyond Borders, opens for applications

07 August 2025 - Press release

 

• Deadline to submit applications is 15th September 2025 at 6pm
• 2025 marks 15th year of Beyond Borders initiative
• Grant support of up to £20,000 is available for projects

PRS Foundation, the UK's leading charitable funder of new music and talent development announces today that its UK and Republic of Ireland initiative, Beyond Borders, is open for applications from organisations, music groups and composers.

This co-commissioning and touring programme is run by PRS Foundation in partnership with Creative Scotland (supported by the National Lottery), Arts Council of Wales (supported by the National Lottery), Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Beyond Borders was established in 2010 to support high quality co-commissions and tours, stimulating collaboration between composers, performance groups and music organisations across the four UK countries and, since 2014, the Republic of Ireland.

Beyond Borders successes have included "Songs of Separation", a collective of 10 English and Scottish folk musicians whose album won 'Best Album' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017, and David Fennessy's 'Panopticon', commissioned by Hebrides Ensemble and Psappha, which won the Scottish Award for New Music for Small Scale work. Martin Green's 'Flit', combining live music and animation which reflects on first hand stories of migration, also won over audiences and critics nationwide in 2016, and was funded through Beyond Borders. Stuart Macrae's stage work 'Ghost Patrol', co-commissioned by Music Theatre Wales and Scottish Opera won the Opera category at the Southbank Sky Arts Awards in March 2013.

To celebrate its 15th year, Beyond Borders piece "Thar Farraige", commissioned in 2023 by Chamber Music Scotland, composed by Linda Buckley and performed by Brìghde Chaimbeul and the Maxwell Quartet was included as one of the 20 exceptional pieces in PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre's critically acclaimed New Music Biennial 2025 festival. A live recording of the performance was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and will be released on NMC recordings in August 2025.

You can read the full list of Beyond Borders grantees since 2010 on PRS Foundation's website.

 

Full details about the programme and how to apply is on the Beyond Borders page of the PRS Foundation website. Grants of up to £20,000 are available for projects and applications for support can be submitted until the deadline of 6pm on 15th September 2025.