Performer mentors:

• Claire Edwardes (Artistic Director/percussion)

• Lamorna Nightingale (flutes)

• Jason Noble (Hatched Academy Director/clarinets)

• Véronique Serret (violin)

• Blair Harris (cello)

• Jack Symonds (piano/composition/Artistic Director, Sydney Chamber Opera)

• March 9: Applications close.

• March 16: Applicants will be notified of their outcome.

• March 16 - April 24: Mentorship sessions set up and undertaken either online or in person.

• Two (2) mentorship sessions with the allocated mentor/s.

• Selected participants will benefit from their assigned mentor's musical expertise, industry insight and creative guidance, and will be empowered to pursue their career goals within the field of art music.

Submit your application here!

Applicants are required to:

• Explain your career ambitions and how the Hatched Mentorship Program will assist you to achieve your goals (200-300 words);

• Indicate your top three (3) mentor preferences form the list;

• (Optional) Provide examples of work (e.g. recordings, scores, website, portfolio). A maximum of three (3) recordings or videos are accepted.

Applicants will be selected by Artistic Director Claire Edwardes and Hatched Academy Director Jason Noble.

Applicants with individual access needs are encouraged to apply. You can contact our team via admin@ensembleoffspring.com for more information and assistance.

• This program is open to artists, performers and composers of all ages who identify as 'emerging'.

• We strongly encourage female-identifying composers, people with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds and people who reside regionally to apply. Ensemble Offspring is committed to ensure equitable access to this program so please reach out if you need help with your application.

• If you have participated in the Hatched Mentorship program before, you will need to explain why more mentorship sessions would be beneficial and focus on a new idea or project that you would use this opportunity for. 

• Only Australian citizens and/or Australian residents may apply.

How many mentorship sessions will I get?

Successful applicants will receive two approximately 1 hour mentorship sessions with their allocated mentor/s. Sometimes we feel it’s more helpful to have two sessions with two different people, but for the most part, it will be two consecutive sessions with the one person.

How is my mentor chosen?

In your application, you will select your top three (3) mentors in order of preference. We will assign you with one or two mentors who we think suit your skillsets and/or project.

Will my sessions be online or in person?

If you live in the same city as your mentor, we urge you to meet in person. However, you may meet online if this is not practical.

How do I arrange the sessions?

It will be your responsibility to set mutually agreeable times with your mentor and report back what these times are to Ensemble Offspring. We are able to supply untimed Zoom links if your meeting is online too. Please let us know if your mentor is not responding to you or you are having any issues.

Should I apply for Mentorship and Composer Intensive? Will I get into both?

Especially if you are a younger emerging composer, we advise you to take the pipeline of Mentorship into Composer Intensive or Emerging Performer. It is unusual for participants to get into both streams in the same year, however, applying for both will not reduce your chance of getting into the Composer Intensive.

What can I discuss with my mentor?

Anything! It is recommended that you think about questions or topics and send them to your mentor in advance of your sessions. You can also send your mentor examples of your work to discuss in the session or grant application texts or whatever you need help with.

Some ideas for things you might want help with are: the creation of your new work, feedback on idiomatic instrumental writing, grant application assistance especially with budgets, assistance with setting up a new ensemble, putting on a concert or even general arts career advice and industry connections.

Is there a cash component to this program?

Participants are not remunerated in cash for this program. However, the Hatched Academy Composer Intensive is valued in-kind at $750 per participant. We have received feedback that the insight provided during these mentorship sessions are invaluable to building life-long careers and industry connections for budding musicians.