Application deadline: 31 May 2026

ECHOES – European Concert Halls Offering Eco-Solutions is launching an international Open Call for emerging and mid-career artists to join a collaborative creation process at the intersection of sound, ecology, and sustainability.

What we are looking for:

The Eco-Soundscapes Open Call invites artists from Creative Europe participating countries to propose original artistic ideas exploring the relationship between sound and environment, music and sustainability, listening and ecological awareness, and the acoustic identity of specific places.

We welcome proposals that engage with natural, urban, or hybrid sound environments; reflect on biodiversity, climate change, or human - environment relationships; explore emotional, social, or ecological dimensions of sound; and can evolve into a shared album concept through collective creation.

The submitted concept is understood as a starting point - selected artists will further develop their ideas during the residency and co-creation process.

All travel and recording expenses are covered by the project. Each of the 5 selected artists will receive a participation fee of 1,000 euros. All works will be co-produced with clear agreements regarding authorship and rights and will be distributed internationally.

The role of field recordings

Field recordings are central to the ECHOES artistic framework. Within this project, field recordings refer to sounds captured outside the studio - real acoustic environments such as forests, rivers, wildlife, rural and agricultural landscapes, urban soundscapes, and the acoustic identity of specific places.

Artists may use field recordings as primary compositional material, as processed electronic material, or as a complement to instruments, voice, or digital media. Selected artists are expected to adopt ethical recording practices and align with the sustainability principles of the project.

What selected artists will do

5 artists will be selected to:

• Develop an original composition inspired by ECHOES themes
• Submit a working artistic sketch before the August 2026 residency
• Participate in residencies, rehearsals, and co-creation sessions
• Contribute to the Eco-Soundscapes Album
• Perform during the international ECHOES tour across four pilot venues in Romania, Greece, Norway, and Ukraine
• Participate in communication and documentation activities
• Respect the project's sustainability principles

All works will be co-produced with clear agreements regarding authorship and rights.

Who can apply?

The call is open to individual artists legally residing in Creative Europe participating countries. Applicants should be emerging or mid-career artists with demonstrated activity in music, sound art, electroacoustic composition, experimental, electronic, neoclassical, jazz or interdisciplinary practices.

Applicants must demonstrate openness to collaborative creation, commitment to a long-term artistic development process, and availability to participate in residencies, rehearsals, and performances throughout 2027.

Creative Europe participating countries (Culture strand):

EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

EEA/EFTA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway.

Candidate and potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine.

European Neighbourhood Policy countries: Armenia, Moldova, Tunisia.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

How to apply

Applicants must submit the following materials:

• Application Form: fully completed online form available at www.echoeslive.eu/open-call/application-form
• Artist Biography: maximum 1 page, highlighting artistic background and current practice
• Portfolio:  links to selected audio/video works, recordings, performances, or documented projects
• Motivation and Artistic Concept Statement: an integrated written statement addressing artistic motivation, collaborative engagement, preliminary compositional concept (including intended sound materials, relationship between sound and place), and a vision for how the proposed work could contribute to the Eco-Soundscapes Album
• Unreleased Work Submission: one unreleased musical piece representative of the applicant's artistic language (used solely for evaluation purposes)

The statement is understood as a starting point for artistic research and collaboration, not as a finalised proposal.

Application deadline: 31 May 2026

For questions, contact: info@echoeslive.eu