Are you an aspiring musician, producer or DJ with lots of ideas but without the means to bring them about? Are you looking for financial support to make your creative dreams come true? Well, you could win £3,000 by applying for Youth Music’s NextGen Fund.
A charity dedicated to helping young people at the very start of their journey, Youth Music supports the future of the music industry via market research and investment in the grassroots. They help people aged 25 and under get their foot in the door, giving them a head-start that they can take to build a successful career.
The NextGen Fund, in its 11th round of funding, is designed to help creatives who don’t have access to contacts, resources, or insights about the music industry. This includes singers, rappers, songwriters, producers, DJs, A&Rs, managers and filmmakers. It’s open to 18–25-year-olds who live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and up to 30-year-olds who identify as deaf, neurodivergent or disabled.
What could the NextGen Fund be used for?
The Fund empowers you to take their personal development to the next level. Whether it’s funding an album, single or EP, starting a business or enrolling on a course. You have a chance to go where your wildest creative imagination takes you thanks to Youth Music. It has already positively empowered many young people to take their creativity forward.
“The NextGen Fund was pivotal in allowing us to branch outside of Cardiff and South Wales, says Connor Morgans, who was granted the Fund and is the Founder of Adlais, a bilingual promoter of Welsh music. “Due to financial and accessibility constraints, when we started it was simply unfeasible for us to put a gig on outside of South Wales. However, we always wanted to bring the Adlais brand to North Wales and were ecstatic when we were successful with the NextGen Fund grant, allowing us to realise this dream.”
“I’ve tried to apply for funding before but not been successful,” says Rianne Lewis, Founder of RUN IT, a music and networking events company. “I feel like the Youth Music application process breaks it down a little bit more compared to some of the other ones which are quite hefty; you’ve got a lot of questions, and a lot to think about.”
The NextGen Fund is open for applications until Friday 7th February at 5pm. So, if you’re eligible, don’t miss out on the chance to change your creative career for the better!
Find out more and apply on the Youth Music website, and discover all the kinds of funding the organisation offers.
Trying to find other ways to apply for UK funding? London-based producer MINA has got you covered.