National charity Help Musicians UK has announced the second cohort of artists supported by the organisation’s Do It Differently fund.
The second round of the Do It Differently Fund will support 57 artists, up from 35 for the first round. The geographical spread of awardees spans the entire United Kingdom and is made up of seven London-based acts, eight from the rest of England, five from Northern Ireland (receiving 26% of funds distributed), two from Scotland and two from Wales. This round will directly assist at least 13 forthcoming albums, four of which will be debuts.
Working in partnership with BAPAM (British Association for Performing Arts Medicine) and ThinkMusic to champion the UK’s DIY talent, the Do It Differently Fund supports independently-driven music creators. The fund provides each awardee up to £3,000 towards creative output, and a further £2,000 towards one-to-one business guidance and wellbeing tools.
The supported acts are: Maz O’ Connor, Jasdeep Singh Degun, Malunga, NYX, Rhodri Davies, Red Carousel, The Magic Lantern, Wynona Bleach, VASA, Brooders, Team Picture, New Pagans, Exposure, Love Ssega, Before Breakfast, Numb Mob, Matthew Grouse, Reevah, Jay l’Booth, Ex-Isles, Malthus, Estée Blu and Matthew Frederick.
Claire Gevaux, Director of Programme, Help Musicians UK, said:
‘The incredible feedback from round one of Do It Differently offers first-hand evidence of how artists are embracing the holistic approach to their careers. Created through insights into the needs of independent artists, which have led the design of the Do it Differently Fund, we’re hugely grateful for the invaluable advice given by the range of experts through our partners, BAPAM and ThinkMusic, who so brilliantly support that world. Covering topics from business skills to performance coaching, staying healthy on tour and combatting loneliness when away from family, the information shared will undoubtedly go on to be useful for many years to come.
‘As with all funds, Do It Differently is competitive in its nature and though we continue to grow our support and help more musicians than ever before, we also understand the disappointment that artists can feel if they’re not successful. In order to reach and support as many musicians as we can, we will once again be traveling across the UK to offer 1:1 funding surgeries this year, providing guidance and further information on the application process. We encourage interested artists to join our mailing list for updates.’
