What makes a queer home?

What makes a queer community sing?

How do we make a place a home? And how do we do that as a queer person? 

Some people have the choice to move somewhere new, but for others, it’s a case of finding your community and your identity in the place that you are, or have ended up. And when we come together how do we celebrate who we are? For many, music is a solace, a space to share, but also a space to breath together.

If you identify as LGBTQ+, or are an ally, and want to explore themes of home and queerness in song, I’d love to work with you. I’m a British-Canadian composer from Manchester (UK) who loves creating new music for queer choirs, including my own, inspired by peoples’ stories and experiences all over the world. I’m coming to Oulu in MARCH and would love to meet any queer people who love to make music, and/or want to share their stories of home, travel, and community. Workshops will involve a range of activities including conversation, lyric writing, singing, and composing, but you can join in as much as you feel confident in. 

Michael Betteridge is a Manchester based, British-Canadian composer and conductor known for bold, story-driven work across opera, orchestral, and choral music. His music has also been performed internationally across Europe, North America, and beyond.

For more information please contact: info@heretoart.fi

***

Call for an artist:

We are looking for an LGBTQ+ early career artist, who has facilitation skills and vocal leading skills (or the potential to develop them) to support composer-vocal leader Michael Betteridge in the creation of a new installation work for prerecorded

and live voices to be performed in Oulu and Manchester in August 2026. This artist would work with Michael, and the LGBTQ+ community in Oulu, to:

Shadow and support Michael during his first visit to the region in March 2026, acting as a translator/interpreter where necessary with different communities groups in the area;

Run workshops (around once a month) from April onwards in which more creative and musical ideas will be generated – this will be supported digitally by Michael

Collect creative ideas through written word, recordings, etc to share with Michael and help shape the finished product;

Rehearse with participants for a newly formed choir in July for a performance in Oulu in August.

We are not necessarily looking for a professional musician, but someone who is confident in, or can become confident in, community song leadership. We are looking for someone who wants to support, and is passionate about, queer community music in Oulu, and has an interest in developing and producing new music (and words and ideas…) that celebrates Oulu’s queer diversity.