Shaun Buswell sets out to challenge the country once again!

On Friday 6th November The 10 Day Orchestra Challenge will be coming to The Arnolfini in BRISTOL with special guest Jim Johnston and on Saturday 14th November The 10 Day Orchestra Challenge will be coming to the Museum & Art Gallery in SWINDON with special guests White Lilac & George Wilding, and in addition to the evening performance, Swindon will also feature a matinee show (for the kids we are told!)

During November 2015, Shaun Buswell, with fellow musician Erik Nyberg (Last Box of Sparklers) will be attempting to create pop-up orchestras around the UK, and getting them to play from 1,000 pages of original music. To complete the challenge they have to play with 100 different musicians in 10 days.  The project is being supported by Arts Council England through a Grants For The Arts Award.

Each show features a comedy talk and presentation by Shaun, followed by a pop-up concert with all the musicians found, and each show features a special guest act from the local area.

The requirements of the challenge are to:

- Perform in 10 different cities/towns around the UK

- Form a different pop-up orchestra each night from local musicians

- Play music each night that is chosen at random by the audience

The rules set are:

- Each musician has to live within a 50 mile radius of the venue

- Shaun can’t personally discuss payment with any musician he meets

- Shaun can’t hire musicians (i.e he can’t contact musicians or find musicians through advertisements)

- Each musician must either be found by Shaun personally, or they contact him direct

- By the end, Shaun has to have played with a total of 100 different musicians

If Shaun breaks any of these rules, then the challenge is failed! We are unsure what the punishment is for failure…

Shaun Buswell started his challenges with the “Underground Orchestra Challenge” on the London Underground on 1st January 2012, with the goal of creating an Orchestra made up of musicians he met as strangers amongst the daily mayhem of travelling on the London tube.¬† He spent a year doing it, resulting in a final performance with a full orchestra at the O2 Shepherd‚Äôs Bush Empire.¬† Since then he has attempted numerous other challenges, including creating an orchestra for a music video for a chart-topping act for Decca Records, a challenge at Glastonbury festival and challenges at last years and this years Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

During this November tour Shaun will be delivering a funny, heart-warming story presentation about the kindness of strangers, and the ability to achieve anything if you set your heart on it.¬† Shaun’s amusing and inspiring presentation will be taking listeners on an emotional journey through the trials of his various orchestra challenges, finally explaining why and how he does what he does.¬† Facilitated by documentary footage, film of live musical performances, video diary clips, projected presentations and a hoard of humorous anecdotes, Shaun‚Äôs Dave Gorman-esque account of his experiences culminates with a special pop-up orchestra concert at the end of each show, from various musicians that he‚Äôs gathered from the local area - for one night only!

“Beautiful music” - BBC News

“Sent shivers down my spine.” - The Independent

“Don‚Äôt even tell me you don‚Äôt think this guy is incredibly cool”¬†-¬†Being British is Awesome

“This is the best thing ever”¬†-¬†Glastonbury festival Glade stage

“He’s like an affable tramp that wants to regale you with his adventures” - Mestival Review

Shaun says “I’ve been really keen to expand the orchestra challenge to the rest of the UK and beyond and this is the first step in making that happen. Performing with musicians who have never met. Playing music chosen at random by the audience. The very nature of it sounds like it’s never going to work but time and time again we prove it can happen.

“This is, without a doubt, the hardest challenge I‚Äôve faced. To find 100 local musicians and get them to play with me in 10 days. It‚Äôs going to be tough, no doubt, but I‚Äôm very much looking forward to travelling around, proving once again that you should never underestimate the kindness of strangers.

“During the challenges I’ve had to face some real lows like quitting my job, problems with funding, to highs such as playing on the London Eye, the orchestra appearing on BBC TV and in worldwide press. It still amazes me that random strangers were kind enough to stop and talk to me and that’s why I am going to attempt the ‘10 Day Orchestra Challenge’. “

Shaun Buswell’s ¬†‚Äú10 Day Orchestra Challenge‚Äù tour takes place from 5th-14th November at various venues across England and Wales.¬† Entry is free but you can guarantee a seat by visiting¬†igg.me/at/10daychallenge

DAY 1 ­ Thurs 5th Nov : Hanger Farm Arts Centre, SOUTHAMPTON (w/ Lucy Kitchen)

DAY 2 ­ Fri 6th Nov : The Arnolfini, BRISTOL (w/Jim Johnston)

DAY 3 ­ Sat 7th Nov : South Street Arts Centre, READING (w/ Nya Shelley & Chloe Reynolds)

DAY 4 ­ Sun 8th Nov : MAC (Hexagon Theatre), BIRMINGHAM (w/ Lobelia Lawson & Alex Rainsford)

DAY 5 ­ Mon 9th Nov: Sacred Trinity Church, MANCHESTER (w/ I Am Your Autopilot)

DAY 6 ­ Tues 10th Nov : Nambucca, LONDON (w/ Ellie Rose & Amber Bugs)

DAY 7 ­ Weds 11th Nov : The Latest Music Bar, BRIGHTON (w/ Wob & Mustard)

DAY 8 ­ Thurs 12th Nov : Shelley Theatre, BOURNEMOUTH (w/ Stomping Boondocks)

DAY 9 ­ Fri 13th Nov: Pontardawe Arts Centre, PONTARDAWE (w/ Newly Deads)

DAY 10 ­ Sat 14th Nov : Museum & Art Gallery, SWINDON (w/ White Lilac & George Wilding)

For more information on Shaun Buswell’s “10 Day Orchestra Challenge” visit:

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