About Katie Schwab’s Play the Campus commission

Katie’s commission will invite playful movement through interactive artworks and site interventions. Inspired by architect Basil Spence’s textures and works by Tadek Beutlich in the University Art Collection, the project reimagines sports and game markings as lines across the new paving.

About Rhona Byrne’s Welcome Voyage

The commission will feature two artworks marking key entrances to Building 75, exploring themes of arrival, belonging and welcome. Using ship cradle sculptures and hydrodynamic-inspired paving designs, the project reflects ideas of care, movement and hospitality.

How to get involved

Apply now and be part of a summer of live music at Turner Sims! Please complete the application form by Monday 2nd March

To get a feel for our 2026 festival, take a look at our Summer Festival 2025 in pictures

About Us

Turner Sims has big ambitions to build an inclusive world through the joy of live music. We’re developing from a respected concert hall into a dynamic and creative music hub. Nurturing new talent and connecting with diverse communities are central to our plans.  

Turn It Up artists will join a wide range of musicians as part of our year-round programme of exceptional live music.  In 2024 indie-folk duo Pegasuses were selected as the first Turn It Up artists and premiered their new music live at the Turner Sims Summer Festival. 

The Opportunity

We will select one Turn It Up artist from this open call. The successful artist will receive a Research and Development (R&D) and Production budget of up to £3,000 to create and deliver a project across five months. The R&D phase (March to June 2025) will culminate in a live performance at Turner Sims’ Summer Festival on Friday 27 June 2025.  

The selected artist will receive a tailored package to support their development and performance. This includes: 

• rehearsal space at Turner Sims 
• recording support 
• performance opportunities 
• marketing and PR 
• industry mentoring with access to knowledge and networks 

Who is it for?

We are looking to support individual artists/musicians who: 

• live or work in Southampton or an SO postcode 
• have 5-10 years of professional experience 
• work in jazz, sound, folk, global, classical and/or electronic music or any point in-between 
• have an ambitious project they want to develop and present live and on a national platform 
• are passionate about engaging diverse audiences through music 
• want to hone their craft and build their professional career 
• want support in navigating the music industry 

We are keen to receive applications from artists with a wide range of lived experiences to create events that are exciting and relevant for diverse audiences from different communities in Southampton. This includes individuals from the Global Majority and/or LGBTQIA+ communities, or those who are disabled, D/deaf, neurodiverse, experience mental illness or are care experienced. 

Access support 

We are committed to removing barriers that would prevent people from participating in this opportunity. For individuals who require access support, we will work with you to understand your needs and agree a package of support to enable you to fully benefit from the opportunity.  

What will we support?

We are looking for projects that: 

• demonstrate ambition and high quality 
• develop your practice 
• seek to engage diverse audiences in the joy of live music 

How will Turn It Up 2025 work?

The selected artist will begin with a one-to-one consultation with us to clarify your project idea and R&D needs.  

Together we will plan how best to spend the £3,000 budget. The funds will need to cover each artist’s own time and any costs to create their idea and proposal e.g. rehearsal and performance time, hiring equipment, accessing other expertise to test a work in progress, or go on site visits. As the final performance will take place within an established event set up we anticipate that some ‘on the day’ production costs may be covered. 

The consultation will also help you identify further support needs and decide what pathway will be most beneficial for you. This may include support with collaboration, industry advice, technical support, or rehearsal/studio time – most likely, a combination of all of these.

The Outcome

During the R&D period, you will have prepared a new show ready to be showcased live at the Turner Sims Summer Festival on Friday 27 June 2025. You will be supported to promote the event and develop content for marketing before and after. This will support you to explore further opportunities for performance, touring, producing etc. 

Join an online briefing session – 21 January 

We will be holding two online information sessions on Tuesday 21 January 2025 to introduce the scheme and answer any questions you may have.  The sessions will take place on the following date and times: 

• Tuesday 21 January 10-10.30am 
• Tuesday 21 January 7-7.30pm 

Email us to book a space for one of the sessions with ‘Online briefing session’ in the subject header stating which session you wish to attend. The content for both sessions will be the same so there is no need to attend both. It is not a requirement to attend one of the sessions in order to apply. 

How to apply

Complete the online form or submit a video/audio application by email to info@turnersims.co.uk  

Please download the application guidance below for a full list of questions.

Deadline to apply: Sunday 2 February 2025 

Interviews with shortlisted artists: week commencing Monday 24 February 2025 

We will contact all applicants with the award decision by Monday 10 March 2025 

 Proposals will be considered against the following criteria: 

• Artist eligibility (e.g. SO postcode and 5-10 years of professional experience) 
• Artistic vision and musical quality 
• Track record of artist for creating and delivering original material 
• Diversity of artists 
• Diversity of music and creative styles 
• Diversity of intended audiences for the project 

 If you have any questions about this opportunity, access support or need this brief or further information in a different format, please email info@turnersims.co.uk 

How to apply

Interested? Apply by Monday 25 November at 12pm by completing this simple form.

If you would prefer to have this information in a non-written format please email Frankie McCormick.

There is also an opportunity to apply in a non-written format. You could create a video or voice note application (5-8 mins), or submit your application in any form that you choose. There is more information about this on the application form.

Summer Family Day 2024 was an absolute hit with both kids and parents alike! In anticipation of upcoming family events like Winter Family Day (Sunday 24 November), our Concert Promotions Intern, Megan Harrison takes a look back to July to show you what amazing family events are held here at Turner Sims…

On Sunday 30 June I got the amazing opportunity to help out on Summer Family Day and see the event first hand! Turner Sims and the nearby outside areas of Highfield campus were full of liveliness, music, and delicious food stalls. The day was filled with fun activities, music and performances that, together, created a day of musical family fun!

Throughout the day, the Turner Sims foyer was busy with face painting and crafts. Paper artist Nathan Ward ran an all-day drop-in workshop where children could create their own unique bugs. The face painting and crafts were extremely popular, and I saw lots of happy children with uniquely painted faces and others carrying around the paper bugs they had made.

In the afternoon, another show in the concert hall called JUMP was on. Following the creepy-crawly theme of this Family Day, JUMP, composed by Karen Wimhurst, combined field recordings of insects and amphibians with clarinet music.

The Puppetry and Conducting Workshop was held under the marquee. The workshop began with the puppet Pythagoras conducting for an accordion player, showing how his movements influenced her playing. After this, newspaper and tape were held out and the kids and grown-ups created their own puppets to conduct with! As someone who’s taken conducting classes, I think this was a really clever and engaging way of introducing conducting to children.

The final event of the day was Creative Beats Workshop, which ended summer Family Day on a high note. Led by Yetta and Emma, members of YES! Creative Beats from the Isle of Wight, kids and grownups played boom-whackers and hand percussion in time with recorded tunes. The energy from Yetta and Emma was amazing and kept everyone engaged, so much so that even the Arts at University of Southampton Student Ambassadors were joining in!

There was lovely positive audience feedback and families had an amazing time. The atmosphere the entire day was so vibrant and cheerful that I couldn’t help but enjoy myself!

Future Producers is a partnership project between Turner Sims and the University of Southampton Department of Music, giving a unique opportunity to a group of music students to programme concerts at Turner Sims and community venues. These students get the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals to learn new skills and gain experience planning, producing and delivering live music events.

Who are we?

Our 2024 team of Future Producers are the FRAZ Collective – Frankie, Ralph, Angelo and Zephyr. Brought together by a shared passion for music and experimentation, we are a team of four first year music students looking to bring new ideas and styles of music to Turner Sims. With a shared love for electronic and jazz music, we are hoping to bring a vibrant, youthful audience to Turner Sims with two upcoming concerts.

What are our aims?

We want Turner Sims to be at the forefront of an engaging music scene in Southampton and entice a new demographic of young people to discover the progressive and experimental musicians that Turner Sims showcases. One of our most important aims is to serve the community in Southampton – which is why one of our two concerts is in collaboration with Friends of St James’ Park’s Summer Festival on the 15 June. Turner Sims will have a one hour takeover at this event with the seven piece jazz and funk band Side Eye and alternative rock band Zero Saints bringing amazing live music to the community.

How will we achieve this?

In both of our concerts, we will be booking what we believe to be on trend and current. By putting on interesting and engaging musical performances that stand out from the crowd, we hope to create a buzz around what we are showcasing. We’ve got some amazing music in store that we’re thrilled to share, so stay tuned and watch this space!

Frankie, Ralph, Angelo, Zephyr (FRAZ Collective)