Portugal | Westway Lab 2023 for music artists

Westway LAB, 12–15 April 2023, is calling for music artists to showcase their music projects or to participate in the one week co-creation residencies at the Candoso Creation Centre, just outside the city of Guimarães, Portugal.

Celebrating its 10th edition in 2023, Westway LAB is Portugal’s showcase festival, international music conference, and artist residency annual event. Each year, Westway LAB invites artists to showcase their music projects as part of the city showcases and invites artists to participate in the co-creation residencies at the Candoso Creation Centre, a converted school that provides a week-long live and work environment, just outside the city of Guimarães.

Each year, 4 working groups of 3 artists (with at least one person in each group being Portuguese) work together the week before the festival to create new side-projects together. It is not a song writing camp (there are no briefings or scripts), rather it allows the absolute creative freedom to make new music together, with the only caveat being that each group must play a 30-minute live showcase on one of the first two days of the festival. These live premieres of each project will then be filmed and recorded to launch the new side project.

Support for artists

Showcases: 300 EUR fee, dinner, and accommodation on the night of your showcase and PRO registration for the conferences
Residencies: 150 EUR fee per project (max. 2 people per project can apply), flights, transfers, meals, and accommodation at Candoso during the whole week, and PRO registration for the conferences

Application guidelines

Deadline: 22 January 2023

Image: Duo Ruut at the 9th Westway LAB. Photo by Paulo Pacheco, courtesy of Westway LAB.