PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, announced the 49 organisations around the country to be supported as PRS Foundation Talent Development Partners for 2020/21.
Talent Development Partners receive a grant from the Foundation for their year-round activity. Funded activities include composer and songwriter development workshops, residencies, recording and release support, commissioning new music, live programming, advice and mentoring. Creators supported by Talent Development Partners include Little Simz, Lewis Capaldi, Ben Lunn, Yazz Ahmed, Charlotte Bray, Moses Boyd, Sam Fender and Yola.
New partnership with Youth Music
In March 2020 PRS Foundation announced a new partnership with Youth Music, with support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, for the Talent Development Partner network. Additional funding and the support of Youth Music’s team will bring career development opportunities to young people across England, Scotland and Wales, helping to break down the barriers to the music industries which many young creatives face.
As with other grantees, PRS Foundation has been supporting Talent Development Partners through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Network member festivals, venues and programming bodies face particularly tough months ahead.
Notable support on offer during this period includes the launch of The Warren’s Amped digital platform, Drake Music’s advocacy of digital accessibility, Sound and Music’s Hardship Funding advice and new COVID-19 Composer Awards, Baby People’s online Hip Hop tutorial videos, Red Note Ensemble’s live stream performances, and many Partner-run online workshops and networking events.
Responding to the changing needs of creators
Joe Frankland, CEO of PRS Foundation, said:
‘I would like to welcome the 49 organisations to this year’s Talent Development Partner network. Since the launch of this network in 2016 we have been increasingly inspired with the energy and impact that the brilliant people in each organisation have brought to this network and how important they are to the talent development pipeline for music creators across the UK and the wider music industry infrastructure. Despite facing significant COVID-19 related challenges this year, the network has been proactive in responding to the changing needs of creators and we look forward to working closely with all 49 organisations over the next 12 months.’
Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music, said:
‘Young people just starting out in the music industries are being hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic – in addition to the barriers those from low income backgrounds were already facing. We’re really pleased to partner with PRS Foundation to support the next generation of musicians. Thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we’re able to extend our support to projects in Wales and Scotland, as well as continuing to invest in English organisations.’
The 2020/21 awardees
- Audio Active
- Baby People
- Brighter Sound
- Bristol Music Trust
- British Underground
- Britten Sinfonia
- Café OTO
- Cheltenham Festivals
- Cryptic
- Drake Music
- Drake Music Scotland
- English Folk Dance and Song Society
- FOCUS Wales
- Forté Project
- Future Bubblers
- Generator
- Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble
- Heart n Soul
- Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival
- Jazzlines
- Jazz re:freshed
- LIMF Academy
- Manchester Jazz Festival
- Mercury Musical Developments & Music Theatre Network
- Moving on Music
- Norwich Arts Centre
- Oh Yeah Music Centre
- Opera North
- Oxford Contemporary Music Festival
- Psappha
- PUNCH
- Red Note Ensemble
- Saffron Records
- Sage Gateshead
- Scottish Music Centre
- Serious
- Snape Maltings
- Sneaky Petes
- Sound and Music
- Sound Festival
- The Music Works
- The Roundhouse Trust
- The Tin Music and Arts
- The Warren Youth Project
- Tomorrow’s Warriors
- Tŷ Cerdd
- Urban Development
- Wide Days
- Yorkshire Music Forum
Header photo: Drake Music Scotland Disabled musicians Ryan Emma Erin and Clare performing an iPad quartet © Sandy Butler
