The recipients have been announced for the first round of an incubator fund set up by the national music and young people’s charity, Youth Music.
The fund provides grants of £5,000 to £30,000 to businesses and not-for-profit collectives working in the music industry. Among the first round of recipients are breakthrough London station No Signal Radio, independent Bristol broadcaster Noods Radio, London jazz group Ezra Collective, labels Black Acre and Saffron Records and video channel Link Up TV.
The fund has been launched to “help open up access to sustainable careers in music for people aged 18-25, particularly those who are underrepresented; and to support creative employers to innovate and incubate new and diverse talent.”
Youth Music’s recent report, A Blueprint for the Future, highlighted ingrained issues in the music industry spanning racial inequality, a lack of access for women and less opportunities to those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
A total of 31 music organisations have been selected and applications were judged by a panel of 18-25-year olds who helped allocate the funding. The £2 million fund is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Check out the full list of round one recipients here. A first-hand account of No Signal Radio’s historic year can be found in Crack Magazine: The Collections, our limited edition print publication which is available to buy now.
