Applications for the NS Academy 2021 programme are now open.
London-founded online radio station No Signal is seeking out young Black creatives to take part in its very first NS Academy programme. The station revealed its intentions to launch a training scheme for aspiring radio hosts, potential podcasters and others eager to break into the industry last year. Now, it’s ready to welcome its first wave of applicants.
🔉Applications are open for the NS Academy 2021 Programme 🔊
A 12-week programme for young Black people ages 18-25 looking to step into the music industry! (1/2) pic.twitter.com/15GfL5krUm
— No Signal (@theresnosignall) April 13, 2021
The NS Academy programme will run for 12-weeks. The scheme is open to Black creatives aged 18-25 living in or around London. “Black in this context is defined as people of Black African, Caribbean and Afro-Latinx heritage,” explains No Signal. The NS Academy is also open to people of mixed-Black heritage. No Signal stress that applicants do not need to have prior experience to take part in the programme. Instead, they’re seeking out individuals “with creative ideas, a collaborative working approach, and a passion for all things Black culture.”
The 12 participants selected for this year’s programme will learn the “how-to’s of the industry” from leading figures working across radio, graphic design, social media and more. At the end of the programme, the participants will curate and produce their very own NS Academy takeover on No Signal,, utilising the skills they’ve acquired along the way. Each participant will receive £1,000 to take part in the initiative. The collective will also be provided with a budget of £3,00 to go towards their radio takeover.
The NS Academy is supported by Youth Music’s Incubator Fund. The fund provides grants of £5,000 to £30,000 to businesses and not-for-profit collectives working in the music industry. It was 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.”
Applications for the NS Academy are open until 2 May. Find out more about the programme and apply here.
Revisit our No Signal feature.
