Open call: FAME Week Africa, Pressure Cooker Studios songwriting camp

The FAME Week Africa × Pressure Cooker Studios Songwriting Camp will take place from 25 to 27 October 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, ahead of FAME Week Africa.

The initiative will match selected creative projects with music teams comprising South African producers, composers and musicians working with Pressure Cooker Studios. Participants will develop original, sync-ready music based on the briefs submitted.

Between three and six projects will be selected for the camp. Successful applicants will receive music created specifically for their projects at no cost and will not be required to use the material.

If a participant decides to use the music commercially, the track can be licensed at applicable production music rates, with an option for exclusivity.

Who can apply?

The call is open to:

• Filmmakers and directors
• Documentary makers
• Production companies
• Agencies and brands
• Content creators
• Creatives developing passion projects
• Producers of films, series, campaigns and other forms of content requiring original music

Applicants will be required to submit a creative brief outlining their project, the intended emotional impact and how music fits into the story.

How the camp works

Selected briefs will be matched with curated music teams, who will work on the projects during the three-day camp.

The resulting demos and stems will be made available to the selected participants, allowing them to test the music against their edits before deciding whether to use it.

Participants will retain all rights to their own projects and materials throughout the process.

Martin Hiller, Portfolio Director of FAME Week Africa, said the initiative was intended to create greater collaboration between different parts of the creative industries.

“One of the things we want FAME Week Africa to do is create real opportunities for different parts of the creative industries to work together. Music is such a powerful part of storytelling, yet filmmakers and music creators don’t always have the opportunity to connect early enough in the creative process,” Hiller said.

“This collaboration with Pressure Cooker Studios changes that. We’re bringing the story and the sound into the same room, working from real briefs and giving African creatives an opportunity to build relationships that can continue long after the camp ends,” he added.

Katryn Nieuwoudt, Music Catalogue & Publishing Lead at Pressure Cooker Studios, said the camp would allow music makers to respond directly to projects being developed for film, television, advertising and digital media.

“There is incredible musical talent across Africa, and equally exciting stories being developed across film, television, advertising and digital content. This camp is about connecting those two worlds in a practical way,” Nieuwoudt said.

“Instead of writing music and hoping it eventually finds a home, our teams will be responding to real stories, real characters and real creative briefs,” she added.

Pressure Cooker Studios is a Cape Town-based music and audio facility offering services including original music composition, sound design, final mixing, ADR, Foley and music supervision.

The studio's facilities include Dolby Atmos theatres, a Foley stage, recording and control rooms, and composition and audio-editing suites.

The organisers said the camp is intended as a development and collaboration platform rather than a conventional commissioning service, giving participating creatives an opportunity to experiment and establish connections across the music and content industries.

Application details

• Programme: FAME Week Africa × Pressure Cooker Studios Songwriting Camp 2026
• Dates: 25 to 27 October 2026
• Location: Cape Town, South Africa
• Number of projects selected: Three to six
• Application fee: Free
• Eligibility: FAME Week Africa community members working in the specified creative fields
• Commercial use: Selected participants can license the resulting music at applicable production music rates, with optional exclusivity
• Application deadline: Not specified

Applicants can submit their creative briefs through the Pressure Cooker Studios application page.