Artist in Residence
Every season, the Philharmonia’s Artist in Residence programme sees a collaboration between an artist of a non-classical background and the Orchestra, to explore and combine two differing art forms and celebrate each other’s artistic creativity.
About the project
Each year, the Philharmonia appoints an Artist in Residence to collaborate with our musicians, opening up new possibilities, offering creative challenges, and creating new works that celebrate orchestral music and the many varied artforms that make up our rich cultural life.
The programme launched in our 2021/22 season with inaugural Artists in Residence House of Absolute, a company of vocalists, poets, choreographers and composers. Following House of Absolute, the Philharmonia appointed musician, producer and climate campaigner Love Ssega as its 2022/23 Artist in Residence. Love Ssega’s residency culminated in June 2023 with a performance with Philharmonia musicians on the Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall.
Our 2023/24 Artist in Residence was Soumik Datta. A sarod virtuoso, bandleader, TV presenter and Artistic Director of the Soumik Datta Arts charity, his work embraces traditional and contemporary art forms to address the urgent issues of our times.
During the 2024/25 season, dance artist and choreographer Vidya Patel was the Philharmonia’s Artist was Residence. Vidya worked with the Philharmonia and a group of musicians over the season to develop a new project that blends together her practice of dance, movement and choreography with classical music.
Vidya was due to present a performance with the Philharmonia on Sunday 30 November. Due to scheduling conflicts and constraints on available resources at a very busy time it is with regret that we are no longer able to present this event. We were pleased to present a culmination performance of Vidya Patel’s year with us as Artist in Residence to our audiences in Leicester earlier in the year.
In the 2025/26 season, dance theatre company Thick & Tight are artists in residence. Over the course of the season, Thick & Tight will collaborate with the Philharmonia to create a work inspired and influenced by the orchestra’s history, through interviews with past and present orchestra members, and explore the season’s theme of ‘identities’, as it celebrates its 80th anniversary.
Inaugural Artists in Residence House of Absolute, and members of the Philharmonia
Apply to be an Artist in Residence
Soumik Datta, Artist in Residence 2023/24
Applications for Artist in Residence 2024/25 and 2025/26 have now closed.
We want to create events and content that authentically represent and engage with the UK’s diverse communities and want the artist to take an inclusive and critical approach to our work and provide perspectives not already seen without our seasons. This will be reflected in the art presented, the identities of the artist, and the communities and audiences that they intend to reach.
The Artist in Residence will create new artistic experiences across our programme of activity that champion their own lived experiences, contribute to a commitment to change the face of classical music, and challenge the Philharmonia to work and think in new ways.
Read the full recruitment pack
To apply, please submit the application form below. The form asks for the following information alongside general demographics of the artist:
- Links to online video footage or examples of two performances, exhibitions or projects that showcase you as an artist. Note that any private links should be made accessible to anyone with the link. The link will be shared with the panel
- Website and/or social media handles
- A cover letter (maximum one page of A4) or audio/visual recording (maximum two minutes) detailing your work as an artist, your previous experience, and what you might bring to the Orchestra
- An idea about how you might collaborate with the Orchestra in response to the Artistic Challenge posed on the application form and listed in our recruitment pack. Your submitted response for the Artistic Challenge can be written (maximum of two pages of A4) or you may submit an audio/visual recording (maximum of four minutes