The Engine Room 2025: International Sound Art Competition and Exhibition at Morley Gallery

Morley College London is excited to announce The Engine Room 2025: International Sound Art Competition and Exhibition.  The competition launches today, 7^th October 2024 and closes 2^nd Jan 2025.  It is open to emerging sound artists around the world.  

Celebrating Innovation in Sound Art

The Engine Room is dedicated to promoting cutting-edge sound art, providing a unique platform for creative exploration.  For the 2025 competition, emerging artists are invited to submit new, original works across a broad range of formats, including audio and audio-visual works:

• Interactive sound installations
• Sound sculptures
• Graphic scores
• Live performances

All entries must be previously unexhibited, unperformed, and have not received awards elsewhere. The entries will be judged by a panel of distinguished experts in the sound arts field, Shortlisted works will be exhibited to the public from 28 April – 16 May 2025 at Morley Gallery in Waterloo, London. The competition winner and runners-up will be announced at the opening night of the exhibition.  Morley Radio Manager and lecturer in Sound Art at Morley College London Camilo Salazar said:

“The Engine Room competition showcases cutting-edge sound art from across the globe.  Sound art is unrepresented in public art exhibitions – but sound art is a vibrant changing art form and visitors to The Engine Room at Morley Gallery can experience incredible works to stimulate our imaginations “

Morley Gallery curator Jack Davy said:

“The Engine Room exhibition at Morley Gallery will give audiences the chance to experience the very latest ideas in sound art.”

Call for Entries

Entries for The Engine Room 2025 are now open. Artists wishing to participate can submit their works via the competition portal on the Engine Room website. The deadline for submissions is January 2, 2025.

For more information about the competition, exhibition, and how to enter, please visit engineroomlondon.org or contact engineroom@morleycollege.ac.uk

Background – The Engine Room at Morley College London

Since its inception in 2011, The Engine Room has celebrated experimental sound and music, building on Morley College’s rich history of innovation in this field. The Engine Room has served as a key platform for experimental sound at Morley College London, hosting a wide range of sound art initiatives, including live performances, sound competitions, and exhibitions.

With a nod to Morley’s historic connection to pioneering sound artists and experimental musicians, including Cornelius Cardew, former Morley tutor and founder of the Scratch Orchestra and Daphne Oram.  This year’s competition aims to push the boundaries of what is possible in sound and art and experimental music. The competition has run bi-annually and attracted over 400 entries over the years.

Morley College London trains the next generation of sound engineers, podcast producers and musicians with a rich range of sound courses for adults.

Exhibition Highlights

Previous Winners:  The Engine Room:

2023 – Marina Sanchez (Ireland) – Wailsong

2019 – Njordzitrone [electronic duo: Andrej Cebski and Davide Baldazzi]  (Italy) – BIID Elisea

2017 – Laura Daly (United Kingdom) – Shadowland

2015 – Andrea Byrne (United Kingdom) – Twinkle

For further information visit the Engine Room Website About Us (engineroomlondon.org)

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