The British Electroacoustic Network (BEAN) is the national body for electroacoustic music in Britain.
The network connects electroacoustic composers, performers, and listeners from across Britain. It aims to generate and promote new electroacoustic music, disseminate electroacoustic music through concerts and events, and increase access to electroacoustic music (through the promotion of calls for works, events, and competitions) . As the national body , BEAN aims to promote British electroacoustic music overseas. It is the National Federation Member of the International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music, an NGO Partner of UNESCO and Member of International Music Council.
Places We’ve Been
Each year we shortlist 10 works to represent BEAN in performances for the upcoming year, see where they’ve gone!
Featured Opportunity
CAMP Online Residency – A Concrete Approach to a Music to Come with Kassel Jaeger – BEAN associate grant
€159.50 with BEAN 50% off | Online | Deadline: 12 October 2026
More info
Developed from Francois’s sold out series’ in 2024/25, this online workshop is a unique opportunity to explore the ideas, history and forward trajectories of musique concrete, led by composer, writer, theoretician and Director of INA GRM, Francois J. Bonnet (aka Kassel Jaeger).
Drawing on the heritage of musique concrete and acousmatic music, this course aims to revise the conceptual foundations that traditionally underpin musical thinking and to take a more experiential approach to composition. Drawing on an original body of theory as well as tangible examples, the aim of the session is to open up new paths of creation, enabling each participant to articulate their relationship to musical creation more clearly, to redefine the issues at stake and to find new creative routes to explore.
BEAN members can apply for a 50% discount by applying for the Open Grant by mentioning that they are a member when applying – there are only a few places remaining!
Upcoming Events
Auris Festival
Tickets (various) | Manchester Oxford Road Corridor
9-11 October 2026
More info
Auris brings a new listening experience to Manchester as the city’s first dedicated sound art festival. It invites us to tune into our sense of sound, bringing people together through an artistic programme that presents new ideas, uncovers histories and challenges perspectives.
Taking place 9–11 October, the festival profiles some of the most distinctive and exciting voices in contemporary sound art, uncovering the many ways sound can be experienced. Expect three days of installations, performances, spatial audio, talks, workshops and soundwalks.
Performances
Francisco López / Lee Patterson / Lola de la Mata / Nik Colk Void / Ryoko Akama / Robin The Fog / WEȽ∝KER
Installations
Kamila Narysheva / Vicky Clarke / Wajid Yaseen
Spatial Audio
Brona Martin / Text-Sound-Art / Miko Tchórzewski / Markus Decker / Bernard Kelly / Totaleee / Nye Parry / Cameron Naylor / Scald / Horse Lords / Arconic Sound / Jose Macabra / Mick Harris
Talks / Workshops
Emma Margetson / Hannah Kemp-Welch / Mark Wagner / Signkid / Kate Carr / Iain Chambers / Jez riley French / Matt Barnard
Soundwalks
Maya Chowdhry / Markus Hetheier / Hayley Suviste / Ryan Woods
The festival takes place within some of Manchester’s most distinctive and iconic spaces, bringing sound art into buildings that have been shaped by a history of industry, science and innovation. Unfolding across the Anthony Burgess Foundation, a converted 19th-century mill space that once housed the machinery of the industrial revolution; SEESAW, a century-old Grade II listed former textile warehouse; The Renold Building at Sister, a brutalist space of great importance to the city’s scientific and technological past and future; and SODA, Manchester Metropolitan University’s pioneering centre for digital arts.
Early bird tickets have now sold out, but weekend passes are available now, with concessions available for students and people from low-income households. Day tickets will
be on sale soon. For the current programme and booking information, visit aurisfestival.com.
Auris is developed by Modus Arts, an award-winning Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, funded by Arts Council England and supported by Resonance FM and The Wire, and is part of The Cultural Welcome, a special week of student events around the Oxford Road Corridor, Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter.
BEASTdome feat. Annette Vande Gorne
Tickets (£10 maximum) | The Dome, University of Birmingham
24 October 2026 – 6.30pm
More info
BEASTdome feat. Annette Vande Gorne, Saturday 24 October
Head to the link in our bio for Tickets and Full Details.
As part of her 80th Birthday Celebrations, BEAST is delighted to welcome electroacoustic pioneer Annette Vande Gorne for our Autumn BEASTdome evening.
Founder of the Musiques & Recherches centre and the internationally renowned L’Espace du Son festival, she has been instrumental in shaping both the practice and dissemination of acousmatic art. Her work explores the physical and energetic qualities of sound, often drawing inspiration from nature, while placing particular emphasis on spatial composition as a central musical parameter.
18:30 – Sat 24th – BEAST Composers and works selected through the British Electroacoustic Network Call for Works.
20:00 – Sat 24th – Annette Vande Gorne.
11:00 – Sun 25th – Diffusion Workshop with Annette Vande Gorne (Free, Booking Essential)
Become a Member
BEAN membership is free to join for UK* and international members. The registration is linked below, and doing so only takes a minute. By signing up you will receive monthly digests of opportunities and events around the country, as well as being able to submit your own events and calls across the network!
*UK members include anybody currently living/working/studying in the UK, or British Citizens working abroad.
Please note that opportunities and events submitted by international members are considered for publication based on their relevance and accessibility to UK members.
Donate to BEAN
While membership remains 100% free, donations are greatly appreciated. The money received goes towards running costs for this website, and the annual CIME membership fees. Any donations received beyond this amount will be put solely toward the upkeep and expansion of the platform.
©British Electroacoustic Network 2026