BOOM 2026/27 is Oxford Contemporary Music's (OCM) annual career and creative development scheme for artists or producers working with sound and music. OCM is seeking creators interested in making inspiring new music and sound experiences for audiences in unusual, outdoor, and public spaces – outside of concert halls or galleries. The programme aims to help artists develop their skills to work in new places, including digital, with a focus on making music and sound for audiences from all backgrounds.
OCM will support five artists or producers through the BOOM programme, which runs for six months from October 2026 to March 2027. Applications are welcome from all genres, creative specialisms, and backgrounds as long as the focus is music/sound based. OCM particularly encourages applications from women, trans, non-binary people, those from the Global Majority, lower socio-economic backgrounds, disabled, or neurodivergent individuals.
BOOM is open to early, mid-career, and established practitioners looking to make a creative leap in their career. Importantly, BOOM is not a commissioning scheme – while you may produce work during the scheme, the primary goal is artistic development, whether or not this results in the production of work. There is no expectation of public presentation of work at the end of the scheme. The OCM team will mentor and guide artists through the programme, supporting a learning and development journey.
This year, one place is the Sound UK BOOM Fellow (supported by Sound UK), and one place has a data sonification focus – the Climate BOOM Fellow with CEDA. Full details are available in the Application Pack.
OCM and BOOM is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner.