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In the Making is the UK’s only year-long artist development programme for passionate and ambitious young music creators aged 14–18.
Through The Curating Composer pathway, participants have the opportunity to become curators, shaping how their work and experiences, and that of others, are shared. For the 2025 cohort, this took the form of BLISS, FEAR and BLISS + FEAR: three short films about finding joy, taking risks and stepping into the unfamiliar.
In the Making welcomes all types of music – beats, songs, sound art, classical, experimental, electronic and everything in-between. An unforgettable summer residential brings young creators together from across the UK to develop original work with expert tutors and professional musicians, culminating in a professionally recorded and filmed showcase.
That creative community continues throughout the year through online development, mentoring, peer support and optional learning pathways. Co-led by the Sound and Music team and In the Making alumni, The Curating Composer pathway supports up to 12 participants to develop creative leadership and gain curating experience.
The 2025 cohort were asked to co-curate a piece of media in response to a shared brief:
Their own experience of In the Making provided the starting point. What did they want someone outside the programme to understand? Which moments, places and feelings would help tell that story?
“Document everything!” is the pathway’s first step. Sound recordings, interviews, photographs, thoughts, doodles and ideas can all become part of a scrapbook of materials to draw on. Selecting and shaping those materials gives participants practical experience of curation, alongside skills in collaboration, creative writing, editing and project management.
For the 2025 group, two contrasting emotions became the focus. Across three shorts, they explored the joy of being with others, the fear of trying something new and the mix of anxiety and excitement that can come with living away from home.
Here, the creators introduce each film in their own words.
Any space or place can be blissful, even the simple ones just around the corner from where you grew up. The location does not matter, neither the sights, what matters are the people you’re with and the journey you’re on. So, take joy in the little things in life and find beauty and bliss in simplicity, like a quiet walk in the park.
Credits
Video and words – Ezra
Music – Paul
Editing – Elliot
Fear is present when doing something you’re not used to, from our experiences at In the Making they created a safe and supportive environment where you felt comfortable taking those risks and exploring new things. This video depicts how we can often overexaggerate these fears but when you ease into things in reality it’s fun and exciting.
Credits
Photos – Ash
Music – Seth
Editing – Elliot
In the Making might be a student’s first time living away from home, often bringing a mix of anxiety and excitement. We aimed to capture both of these emotions alongside a video of a train to show how basecamp can be a station to get closer to where you want to be.
Credits
Visuals – Arthur H
Music and editing – Elliot
The Curating Composer developed through the creative practice and doctoral research of Dr Will Dutta, our CEO, and informs our work with creators at Sound and Music. Drawing on approaches from the visual arts, it explores how composers can shape both the music they make and the ways people encounter it. Decisions about collaborators, settings and formats can influence the work as it develops.
The Curating Composer pathway gives young people an opportunity to explore this relationship for themselves. In a short film, for example, choosing which images accompany a piece of music, how they are edited together and what words introduce them all help shape the audience’s experience. Crucially, the participants take responsibility for these decisions together, developing their ideas as creators, curators and leaders.
Three papers explore the wider thinking behind this practice:
The shorts reflect on the experience of taking part. To hear the music created during the residential, explore the In the Making 2025 Showcase, recorded live at Phipps Hall, The University of Huddersfield, on Friday 8 August 2025.
The final day of the residential is the culmination and crescendo of the week, with music from every participant. It is a chance to hear work that did not exist at the beginning of the week; music that many of the participants would not have thought they were capable of when they arrived.
The cohort’s creative journeys continued beyond the residential, with a year of online development, mentoring and peer support.
This special edition of The Sampler Mixtape brings together work created over those 12 months. As heard on Resonance FM on Friday 24 July 2026 at 12pm, hosted by our Senior Creative Programme Leader, Clare Spollen.
The In the Making 2026 cohort have been given the same starting point: “Here’s what it’s like at our base camp.” With a new group comes a new set of experiences, ideas and creative voices. We can’t wait to see how they tell their collective story.
Stay tuned for videos from the In the Making 2026 Showcase and more new music from our young creators as they continue to develop their skills, confidence, identity and vision throughout the year.
The post Bliss, fear and life at base camp — The Curating Composer Shorts appeared first on Sound and Music.
Through The Curating Composer pathway, participants have the opportunity to become curators, shaping how their work and experiences, and that of others, are shared. For the 2025 cohort, this took the form of BLISS, FEAR and BLISS + FEAR: three short films about finding joy, taking risks and stepping into the unfamiliar.
In the Making welcomes all types of music – beats, songs, sound art, classical, experimental, electronic and everything in-between. An unforgettable summer residential brings young creators together from across the UK to develop original work with expert tutors and professional musicians, culminating in a professionally recorded and filmed showcase.
That creative community continues throughout the year through online development, mentoring, peer support and optional learning pathways. Co-led by the Sound and Music team and In the Making alumni, The Curating Composer pathway supports up to 12 participants to develop creative leadership and gain curating experience.
Here’s what it’s like at our base camp: the 2025 cohort’s brief
The 2025 cohort were asked to co-curate a piece of media in response to a shared brief:
Their own experience of In the Making provided the starting point. What did they want someone outside the programme to understand? Which moments, places and feelings would help tell that story?
“Document everything!” is the pathway’s first step. Sound recordings, interviews, photographs, thoughts, doodles and ideas can all become part of a scrapbook of materials to draw on. Selecting and shaping those materials gives participants practical experience of curation, alongside skills in collaboration, creative writing, editing and project management.
For the 2025 group, two contrasting emotions became the focus. Across three shorts, they explored the joy of being with others, the fear of trying something new and the mix of anxiety and excitement that can come with living away from home.
Here, the creators introduce each film in their own words.
BLISS
Any space or place can be blissful, even the simple ones just around the corner from where you grew up. The location does not matter, neither the sights, what matters are the people you’re with and the journey you’re on. So, take joy in the little things in life and find beauty and bliss in simplicity, like a quiet walk in the park.
Credits
Video and words – Ezra
Music – Paul
Editing – Elliot
FEAR
Fear is present when doing something you’re not used to, from our experiences at In the Making they created a safe and supportive environment where you felt comfortable taking those risks and exploring new things. This video depicts how we can often overexaggerate these fears but when you ease into things in reality it’s fun and exciting.
Credits
Photos – Ash
Music – Seth
Editing – Elliot
BLISS + FEAR
In the Making might be a student’s first time living away from home, often bringing a mix of anxiety and excitement. We aimed to capture both of these emotions alongside a video of a train to show how basecamp can be a station to get closer to where you want to be.
Credits
Visuals – Arthur H
Music and editing – Elliot
What is The Curating Composer?
The Curating Composer developed through the creative practice and doctoral research of Dr Will Dutta, our CEO, and informs our work with creators at Sound and Music. Drawing on approaches from the visual arts, it explores how composers can shape both the music they make and the ways people encounter it. Decisions about collaborators, settings and formats can influence the work as it develops.
The Curating Composer pathway gives young people an opportunity to explore this relationship for themselves. In a short film, for example, choosing which images accompany a piece of music, how they are edited together and what words introduce them all help shape the audience’s experience. Crucially, the participants take responsibility for these decisions together, developing their ideas as creators, curators and leaders.
Three papers explore the wider thinking behind this practice:
- The Curating Composer (2021)
Will Dutta introduces the role through his own practice, exploring the creative and self-producing skills that help composers make things happen and sustain careers. - Creating Cultures of New Music (2024)
Will Dutta and Fiona Allison explore how grassroots music scenes begin and grow, through conversations with the founders and audiences of ame and Daytimers/Dialled In. - Creative Waste and Dimensioning (2026)
Will Dutta and Nicole Rochman consider how research, experiments and ideas can develop across different forms and settings, extending their creative life beyond a single project or premiere.
The In the Making 2025 Showcase
The shorts reflect on the experience of taking part. To hear the music created during the residential, explore the In the Making 2025 Showcase, recorded live at Phipps Hall, The University of Huddersfield, on Friday 8 August 2025.
The final day of the residential is the culmination and crescendo of the week, with music from every participant. It is a chance to hear work that did not exist at the beginning of the week; music that many of the participants would not have thought they were capable of when they arrived.
The In the Making 2025 Mixtape
The cohort’s creative journeys continued beyond the residential, with a year of online development, mentoring and peer support.
This special edition of The Sampler Mixtape brings together work created over those 12 months. As heard on Resonance FM on Friday 24 July 2026 at 12pm, hosted by our Senior Creative Programme Leader, Clare Spollen.
What will the In the Making 2026 cohort make?
The In the Making 2026 cohort have been given the same starting point: “Here’s what it’s like at our base camp.” With a new group comes a new set of experiences, ideas and creative voices. We can’t wait to see how they tell their collective story.
Stay tuned for videos from the In the Making 2026 Showcase and more new music from our young creators as they continue to develop their skills, confidence, identity and vision throughout the year.
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The post Bliss, fear and life at base camp — The Curating Composer Shorts appeared first on Sound and Music.