Following the success of last December's Up North! festival, Ireland's Crash Ensemble is putting plans in place for another contemporary music festival to be held in the Project Arts Centre, Dublin, in late November/early December 2003.

Last year's event saw the performance of thirteen world premieres over four days and to continue this focus on new work, Crash will transform one of Project's performing spaces, the Cube, into a 'maternity hospital' where new works will be brought into the world over the course of the festival. Crash Ensemble will perform a number of premieres, notably new works by Kevin O'Connell and Andrew Hamilton, and visiting group Bradyworks from Montréal will also perform new work.

Performers and composers who would like to propose world and Irish premieres for Maternity Hospital are invited to contact Fergus Sheil, Crash Ensemble director, with details.