Take Five 2025 | Talent Development

Serious is delighted to open applications for the landmark 20th Edition of Take Five, its flagship talent development programme for emerging jazz and improvising musicians. 

Every year Take Five gives eight of the UK’s most talented creative jazz and improvising artists the opportunity to take time out to develop their craft, build the professional side of their careers, and make vital new musical and industry connections – offering mentorship, collaborations and performance opportunities. Take Five can be a pivotal moment in artists’ careers, frequently leading to wider recognition, touring, record deals, and more – as well as providing some time out to reflect, take a breath and look at the next steps. 

Take Five consists of:

• An online residency featuring bespoke seminars, panel discussions, and workshops led by Fusion: Serious invite some of the most influential industry experts from across the UK, Europe, and further afield to tackle a range of topics based on what the group has expressed interest in through introductory 1-1 sessions.
• A 5-day artistic residency where the eight artists retreat to the Cotswolds. Under the musical direction of Jason Yarde the group will collaboratively play each other's compositions, written and/or arranged specifically for the musicians in the group - culminating in a private performance on the final evening. Alongside this is a series of holistic activity, ranging from movement work to sound baths and performance coaching.
• Mentorship and ongoing guidance: Following the residency artists will receive ongoing advice from Serious’ staff as well as being paired with a mentor of their choosing, based on the artists’ needs and areas of interests, such as assistance with funding applications, strategic planning with an artist manager or a creative mentor to develop areas of their musical ability.
• Performance opportunities at the 2025 EFG London Jazz Festival – most notably at the "Take Five Presents" showcase which was launch in 2020 as well as high profile support slots, new collaborations, and headline slots – remaining in Serious’ network going forward.
• Participants also receive a £400 stipend towards their time on the residency and contributions to travel costs, to partly offset any lost work during the scheme.

Watch Take Five XVIIII: Collaborations Trailer from our 2024 Take Five and get a flavour of the full performance featuring a composition that each participant brought to the residency that is workshopped throughout the week.

The programme’s alumni list reads as a who’s who of the British jazz scene ranging from Polar Bear’s Seb Rochford (who took part in the very first edition) to Sons of Kemet and The Comet is Coming’s Shabaka Hutchings, British/Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed to saxophonist Nubya Garcia, as well as musicians from outside the traditional jazz idiom but with a foot firmly in improvisation such as electronic musician Leafcutter John, conductor and arranger Jules Buckley, Korean flautist Hyelim Kim, and South African cellist Abel Selaocoe. You can see every past participant by clicking here

To be considered for the 20th Edition of Take Five you must be:

• Available from 10 – 14 February 2025 (in the daytimes only) for the online residency and from 24 – 28 February 2025 for the artistic residency in the Cotswolds
• Available for other mentorship and performance opportunities throughout the year
• Aged between 23 – 35 years of age OR have between 5 – 10 years of demonstrable professional experience as a musician
• Based in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) – you don’t need to be a UK national, but do need to demonstrate that you are committed to living and working in the UK

The application form can be found here – comprising of some basic information and monitoring questions, a biography/CV, a personal statement (which can be either written or video), and a written reference.

Applications are now closed.

Also discover Serious and Black Lives in Music newly expanded sound engineering mentorship programme Equaliser – in partnership with Barbican and Royal Albert Hall. Equaliser is a pioneering opportunity designed to develop the talents of the next generation of live sound professionals from global majority backgrounds.

The successful participant will take part in a year-long programme , taking part in Take Five and gaining hands-on paid work experience and mentoring with the Barbican and Royal Albert Hall live sound teams.

Applications are now closed.