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Meet the panel who will help assess applications for In Motion 2027.
In Motion is our 18-month artist development programme for original music creators who are committed to challenging and evolving their practice and ready to invest time, attention and energy in where it could go next. Up to 10 creators will receive funding, tailored guidance, mentoring, coaching and opportunities to connect with peers, with each artist’s creative ambitions shaping their journey.
We’re introducing this year’s panellists during the application period so you can get to know the people who will be reading, listening to and scoring your submissions. Making our selection process clear and accessible is part of putting our Fair Access Principles into practice.
Joining us for In Motion 2027 are Yewande Adeniran, Mataio Austin Dean, Lauren Kinsella, CN Lester, Oliver Payne and Simone Seales. Their experience connects club culture, folk traditions, improvisation, classical performance, disability arts and interdisciplinary work.
We appoint a different panel each year, and applications are assessed by a combination of Sound and Music team members and the external panellists. Every application receives a review from at least two panellists in Phase 1. Those progressing to Phase 2 are reviewed by at least four. Feedback is available to everyone who applies, with more detailed, personalised feedback for longlisted applicants who are unsuccessful.
Applications open: Monday 5 October 2026
Applications close: Monday 2 November 2026
Explore the panellists’ practices below, then find out more about the programme and how to apply.
Apply to In Motion 2027
Lauren Kinsella © Dave Stapleton
Lauren Kinsella (she/her) is an Irish, London-based vocalist, songwriter, lyricist and improviser known for making “thoughtful, poetic and deeply humane” music (UKVibe). Her practice moves fluidly across alternative folk, contemporary chamber music, a cappella vocal music and experimental improvised music settings. Her latest release in 2026 is with Shadowlands on BMC Records, entitled Two Minds. Featuring saxophonist Robin Fincker and pianist Kit Downes, the trio’s record was described as “one of the most remarkable intercultural achievements of the year and a work of rare elegance” (Paris-Move).
Heartstrings, her latest release with Snowpoet on Edition Records, was voted among the top five jazz albums of the year by The Irish Times in 2025, with The Journal of Music writing: “Kinsella has never sounded so good. There is at once a great strength and vulnerability to her vocals, something intimate, internal and winningly intense.” Snowpoet are integral to the pop-adjacent and electronic-acoustic crossover scene in the UK and Europe and celebrate 15 years together in 2027, including a performance at London’s Kings Place on 5 March.
Website
Instagram
Bandcamp
Watch
Simone Seales © Matthew Arthur Williams
Originally from Florida, Simone Seales (they/them) is a Glasgow-based cellist and performance artist working with free improvisation, live looping and poetry within their own performances and across theatre and dance.
Their practice centres on play, silliness, connection and exploring sound as a way of embodying emotional states of being. Their creative influences come from Black feminist leaders such as Audre Lorde, Assata Shakur and bell hooks. Within Simone’s work, they centre Blackness, intersectional feminism and anti-racism.
In November 2025, Simone released their debut album Dearest, a work which blends poetry and music to reflect on the warmth, nostalgia and tension of queer first love.
Simone was Musician in Residence (2025–26) for Paraorchestra and has performed across the UK and internationally.
Website
Instagram
CN Lester © Sophia Stefellé
‘Proof that music can carry pain, philosophy, and beauty all at once without collapsing under the weight.’ — Attitude
CN Lester (they/them) is a multi-genre musician, author of the critically acclaimed Trans Like Me, and founder and artistic director of the award-winning arts event Transpose at the Barbican. Classical performance engagements include work with Wigmore Hall, BBC Radio 3 and 4, and Spitalfields Music. Composition commissions include Fourth Choir and Britten Pears Arts.
As an ensemble singer, they work across a broad range of projects with TRANS VOICES, from new experimental commissions for the Barbican and the Serpentine Gallery to backing vocals for Alanis Morissette. Their work includes interdisciplinary performance and research on composer Barbara Strozzi, and their original work on her life and music was published in Barbara Strozzi in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2026).
Website
Instagram
© Mataio Austin Dean
Mataio Austin Dean (he/him) was born in 1996 to a Guyanese mother and an English father and educated at the Slade School of Fine Art. His practice extends across visual art, poetry, music, research and activism. His work often explores, through oral and visual culture practices, the darkly intertwined histories of Guyana and England. He is best known for his work as a member of the traditional music group Shovel Dance Collective.
Austin Dean sings folksong primarily from the south of England, focusing on songs from Hampshire and Sussex. He sees his singing of folksong as part of a decolonial process: centring notions of locality, solidarity and international exchange, and rejecting totalising, imperialistic structures of Britishness and whiteness.
Shovel Dance Collective
Instagram
Bandcamp
Watch
© Oliver Payne
Oliver (he/him) is Artistic Director of YARMONICS, a festival of sound and new music in Great Yarmouth, and founder of Eastern Ear. He creates sound and music for artists, heritage institutions and commercial clients, and is Programme Director at disability arts charity Musical Keys. Oliver’s work spans mark-making, performance, sculpture and participatory projects, rooted in noise, time and the act of noticing.
Through multisensory experience, he seeks to amplify small things and subvert the big, encouraging us to hear and see differently. With over a decade’s experience working with differently abled people, he is deeply interested in listening to and sharing their experiences.
Website
Instagram
© Ifeoluwa
Ifeoluwa aka Yewande Adeniran (they/them), is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, filmmaker, mentor and academic with a focus on fusing together global drum-heavy sonics, abstract left-field electronics and sad guitars. Their gigs abroad have taken them everywhere from Estonia to Berlin to sold-out headline shows across the UK. They currently hold radio residencies on Refuge Worldwide and Rinse France.
As a writer their bylines are in VICE, The Wire, Resident Advisor and they were the guest editor for the Windrush 75 series for Mixmag. As a performer, they were part of sold out shows at the Barbican, and have performed at the V&A, Somerset House and Whitechapel Gallery. As well as running INTERVENTION, free DJ workshops for marginalised individuals across the U.K. As a filmmaker, their experimental documentaries have been shown at the Turner Gallery, Darkroom Festival, UNTHINKABLE Festival and unda festival.
With their practice centering on visual anthropological experimentations of the “everyday” and “mundane”, with a love of the weird and wonderful quirks of both urban and rural Britain.
Website
Instagram
We are hosting two Meet the Team sessions for creators interested in applying to In Motion.
Come along to learn more about the application process and programme, ask questions and find out if this might be the right programme for you.
Register: Monday 19 October, 12:30–1:30pm
Open to all music creators.
Register: Tuesday 20 October, 12:30–1:30pm
For music creators identifying as d/Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent.
Automatic captions will be enabled at both sessions.
Inclusion is central to our work and we want to ensure our programmes are as accessible as possible. We offer access support both to support you with applying to the programme and, for selected artists, we will make reasonable adjustments to help you participate in our programme activities fully.
Important note: If you would like to arrange a session with an access support worker as part of applying for In Motion 2027, you need to let us know by 12 October 2026. If we receive a request for an access support worker after that date, we cannot guarantee we will be able to book a dedicated access support worker for this application round.
If you would like to inquire about or arrange access support with applying to In Motion, please contact Grace Bailey ([email protected]).
Applications open Monday 5 October 2026.
Sound and Music is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.
In Motion 2027 is made possible with the generous support of Arts Council England, PRS Foundation and Creative Scotland.
The post In Motion 2027 — Panel announcement appeared first on Sound and Music.
In Motion is our 18-month artist development programme for original music creators who are committed to challenging and evolving their practice and ready to invest time, attention and energy in where it could go next. Up to 10 creators will receive funding, tailored guidance, mentoring, coaching and opportunities to connect with peers, with each artist’s creative ambitions shaping their journey.
We’re introducing this year’s panellists during the application period so you can get to know the people who will be reading, listening to and scoring your submissions. Making our selection process clear and accessible is part of putting our Fair Access Principles into practice.
Joining us for In Motion 2027 are Yewande Adeniran, Mataio Austin Dean, Lauren Kinsella, CN Lester, Oliver Payne and Simone Seales. Their experience connects club culture, folk traditions, improvisation, classical performance, disability arts and interdisciplinary work.
We appoint a different panel each year, and applications are assessed by a combination of Sound and Music team members and the external panellists. Every application receives a review from at least two panellists in Phase 1. Those progressing to Phase 2 are reviewed by at least four. Feedback is available to everyone who applies, with more detailed, personalised feedback for longlisted applicants who are unsuccessful.
Applications open: Monday 5 October 2026
Applications close: Monday 2 November 2026
Explore the panellists’ practices below, then find out more about the programme and how to apply.
Apply to In Motion 2027
Lauren Kinsella
Lauren Kinsella © Dave Stapleton
Lauren Kinsella (she/her) is an Irish, London-based vocalist, songwriter, lyricist and improviser known for making “thoughtful, poetic and deeply humane” music (UKVibe). Her practice moves fluidly across alternative folk, contemporary chamber music, a cappella vocal music and experimental improvised music settings. Her latest release in 2026 is with Shadowlands on BMC Records, entitled Two Minds. Featuring saxophonist Robin Fincker and pianist Kit Downes, the trio’s record was described as “one of the most remarkable intercultural achievements of the year and a work of rare elegance” (Paris-Move).
Heartstrings, her latest release with Snowpoet on Edition Records, was voted among the top five jazz albums of the year by The Irish Times in 2025, with The Journal of Music writing: “Kinsella has never sounded so good. There is at once a great strength and vulnerability to her vocals, something intimate, internal and winningly intense.” Snowpoet are integral to the pop-adjacent and electronic-acoustic crossover scene in the UK and Europe and celebrate 15 years together in 2027, including a performance at London’s Kings Place on 5 March.
Website
Bandcamp
Watch
Simone Seales
Simone Seales © Matthew Arthur Williams
Originally from Florida, Simone Seales (they/them) is a Glasgow-based cellist and performance artist working with free improvisation, live looping and poetry within their own performances and across theatre and dance.
Their practice centres on play, silliness, connection and exploring sound as a way of embodying emotional states of being. Their creative influences come from Black feminist leaders such as Audre Lorde, Assata Shakur and bell hooks. Within Simone’s work, they centre Blackness, intersectional feminism and anti-racism.
In November 2025, Simone released their debut album Dearest, a work which blends poetry and music to reflect on the warmth, nostalgia and tension of queer first love.
Simone was Musician in Residence (2025–26) for Paraorchestra and has performed across the UK and internationally.
Website
CN Lester
CN Lester © Sophia Stefellé
‘Proof that music can carry pain, philosophy, and beauty all at once without collapsing under the weight.’ — Attitude
CN Lester (they/them) is a multi-genre musician, author of the critically acclaimed Trans Like Me, and founder and artistic director of the award-winning arts event Transpose at the Barbican. Classical performance engagements include work with Wigmore Hall, BBC Radio 3 and 4, and Spitalfields Music. Composition commissions include Fourth Choir and Britten Pears Arts.
As an ensemble singer, they work across a broad range of projects with TRANS VOICES, from new experimental commissions for the Barbican and the Serpentine Gallery to backing vocals for Alanis Morissette. Their work includes interdisciplinary performance and research on composer Barbara Strozzi, and their original work on her life and music was published in Barbara Strozzi in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2026).
Website
Mataio Austin Dean
© Mataio Austin Dean
Mataio Austin Dean (he/him) was born in 1996 to a Guyanese mother and an English father and educated at the Slade School of Fine Art. His practice extends across visual art, poetry, music, research and activism. His work often explores, through oral and visual culture practices, the darkly intertwined histories of Guyana and England. He is best known for his work as a member of the traditional music group Shovel Dance Collective.
Austin Dean sings folksong primarily from the south of England, focusing on songs from Hampshire and Sussex. He sees his singing of folksong as part of a decolonial process: centring notions of locality, solidarity and international exchange, and rejecting totalising, imperialistic structures of Britishness and whiteness.
Shovel Dance Collective
Bandcamp
Watch
Oliver Payne
© Oliver Payne
Oliver (he/him) is Artistic Director of YARMONICS, a festival of sound and new music in Great Yarmouth, and founder of Eastern Ear. He creates sound and music for artists, heritage institutions and commercial clients, and is Programme Director at disability arts charity Musical Keys. Oliver’s work spans mark-making, performance, sculpture and participatory projects, rooted in noise, time and the act of noticing.
Through multisensory experience, he seeks to amplify small things and subvert the big, encouraging us to hear and see differently. With over a decade’s experience working with differently abled people, he is deeply interested in listening to and sharing their experiences.
Website
Yewande Adeniran
© Ifeoluwa
Ifeoluwa aka Yewande Adeniran (they/them), is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, filmmaker, mentor and academic with a focus on fusing together global drum-heavy sonics, abstract left-field electronics and sad guitars. Their gigs abroad have taken them everywhere from Estonia to Berlin to sold-out headline shows across the UK. They currently hold radio residencies on Refuge Worldwide and Rinse France.
As a writer their bylines are in VICE, The Wire, Resident Advisor and they were the guest editor for the Windrush 75 series for Mixmag. As a performer, they were part of sold out shows at the Barbican, and have performed at the V&A, Somerset House and Whitechapel Gallery. As well as running INTERVENTION, free DJ workshops for marginalised individuals across the U.K. As a filmmaker, their experimental documentaries have been shown at the Turner Gallery, Darkroom Festival, UNTHINKABLE Festival and unda festival.
With their practice centering on visual anthropological experimentations of the “everyday” and “mundane”, with a love of the weird and wonderful quirks of both urban and rural Britain.
Website
Thinking about applying?
We are hosting two Meet the Team sessions for creators interested in applying to In Motion.
Come along to learn more about the application process and programme, ask questions and find out if this might be the right programme for you.
Register: Monday 19 October, 12:30–1:30pm
Open to all music creators.
Register: Tuesday 20 October, 12:30–1:30pm
For music creators identifying as d/Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent.
Automatic captions will be enabled at both sessions.
Access support
Inclusion is central to our work and we want to ensure our programmes are as accessible as possible. We offer access support both to support you with applying to the programme and, for selected artists, we will make reasonable adjustments to help you participate in our programme activities fully.
Important note: If you would like to arrange a session with an access support worker as part of applying for In Motion 2027, you need to let us know by 12 October 2026. If we receive a request for an access support worker after that date, we cannot guarantee we will be able to book a dedicated access support worker for this application round.
If you would like to inquire about or arrange access support with applying to In Motion, please contact Grace Bailey ([email protected]).
Ready to explore where your practice could go next?
Applications open Monday 5 October 2026.
Sound and Music is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.
In Motion 2027 is made possible with the generous support of Arts Council England, PRS Foundation and Creative Scotland.
Learn more about In Motion
Subscribe to our newsletter
Support out work
The post In Motion 2027 — Panel announcement appeared first on Sound and Music.