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BSO Young Associates Programme

BSO ENDOWMENT TRUST
8,800 per year
South West of England
Full-time
16th August 2026
Listed today

Bursary: £8,800 (split into monthly payments of £1,100)

Time commitment: At least 10 days a month for eight months from November 2026 to June 2027. The programme will work around your other commitments. Travel across South West is required.

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is looking for people with the potential to be a great communicator, connect with people from all walks of life, and take their musical and creative skills to the next level. To apply to be a BSO Young Associate you must:

  • Be a musician, vocalist, music producer, composer, sound artist, MC or songwriter of any genre
  • Play or make music to a sufficiently high standard
  • Embrace different styles of music and be keen to learn new skills
  • Be passionate about music making with people of all ages, abilities and needs
  • Be based in the South or South West of England (from Basingstoke in the East, to Gloucestershire in the North and Cornwall in the West)
  • Be aged 18-30
  • The Young Associates programme is created to support those currently underrepresented in the arts. We are not presenting a fixed set of criteria, and instead ask applicants to self-identify their eligibility in this area. Eligible criteria may include, but are not limited to, underrepresented gender, racial, ethnic or socio-economic backgrounds, rural isolation and may also include neurodiversity and Disability

If you would like more information or a friendly confidential chat about any aspect of the programme before applying, please contact Jess Kirby jkirby@bsorchestra.co.uk to arrange a phone call.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview/audition on Wednesday 9 or Thursday 10 September in Poole. Your travel expenses will be reimbursed for attending this interview day.

Download the recruitment pack for more information about the programme. Please get in touch if you need it in a different format.

The BSO is an equal opportunities and disability confident employer. Challenging barriers to high-quality music for all, the BSO is committed to improving equality, diversity and inclusion in classical music, in our workforce and leadership.

The BSO Young Associates programme in 2026-29 is generously funded by The Calleva Foundation, in memory of Jack Butt.