Composers from Northern Ireland are invited to compose works for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

The PRS for Music Foundation and partners which include the Arts Council of Northern Ireland have launched a programme to place new music centre-stage of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

New Music 20 x 12 invites composers, ensembles, festivals and music organisations from across Northern Ireland to submit ideas to create new music to feature in UK-wide celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The works will enable audiences to enjoy exceptional music inspired by this once-in-a-lifetime celebration of our culture with the world.

New Music 20 x 12 will support 20 new works each lasting 12 minutes and will be delivered in partnership with the BBC, LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) and Sound and Music. Northern Ireland's music sector is invited to present ideas for new work, in any musical genre, that they would like to commission from a UK- based composer. Each work will premiere in 2012 and receive at least two additional performances.

Each of the selected projects will be allocated on average stg£8,000. A panel of experts, chaired by Roger Wright, Controller BBC Radio 3 and Director, BBC Proms, will be announced later this year and will select the best 20 works following the deadline for applications on Friday 1st October 2010. All selected works will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and some may be considered for inclusion in other official events relating to London 2012. In addition to financial support for the commissions, New Music 20x12 will include networking and professional development opportunities for the selected composers and musicians.

Further information: Jane McKee, Media and Communications Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland.Tel: (028) 9038 5246 or E: jmckee@artscouncil-ni.org