what we do
the music box project is a meeting point for creators and listeners alike.
Our events are a place where people connect, creative ideas are broached and gestated outside traditional boundaries of art form.
Photo: Cactus Can (2022)
our events
We facilitate the following kinds of projects:
Concerts of live music - our music is often site-considerate and curated to be performed in interesting locations. Previous venues include historic Trades Halls, paddocks, carparks, art storage unit, pubs, Cockatoo Island, and more.
Upstairs @ The Glebe - a regular series of music-in-motion. The Upstairs series is a space for members of the collective to present experiments and smaller performances to an intimate, loyal audience in a relaxed, casual and comfy setting. Many of the “experiments” feed into bigger projects.
Participatory works - MBP has facilitated several participatory compositions since 2015 and in 2024 will be devising a new work as part of our inaugural festival - Cut Paste Play.
our values
the music box project is committed to:
Collaboration: the collective loves to develop and explore new work and ideas.
DIY: members of TMBP value the skills, experience and creative outcomes that stem from their involvement in an artist-run initiative. We love the feeling of working together to make things happen!
Play: a playful, exploratory and experimental approach is central to TMBP.
Living music: presenting music as a process not just a product. We present both new works and existing works - often seeking to present existing works in a new light.
how we do it
the music box project operates as a collective where each core member has an equal role in the artistic vision of the ensemble. This is realised both through individual leadership in curating Upstairs @ The Glebe performances, and through collaborative planning and design for concerts and participatory works. We believe that this generates innovative work that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Administrative work for the group is provided on a voluntary basis according to availability. While this allows for a cross-section of creative ideas to flow into planning and administrative activities, it limits the number and scale of projects that we are able to accomplish. Currently, we are developing a more sustainable model.
the music box project seeks to present ‘music outside the usual order of things’ and has brought to life projects that celebrate music made by members of the collective and creators outside the collective. The collective has championed an interdisciplinary approach to music making and specialises in creating music experiences that incorporates elements of theatre, media, performance art and more.
the music box project curates events that blur the lines between audience and artists, creating experiences that invite audience members to be creative and actively engage in the music in curious and creative ways.
