Youth Music is collaborating with YouTube for the second round of its Incubator Fund to support the next generation of creatives. Applications are open now.
National charity Youth Music’s £2 million Incubator Fund has opened for its second round of applications. Supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the Incubator Fund follows Youth Music’s recent ‘A Blueprint for the Future’ report, which set out the significant barriers young people face to work in music and the actions required by music industries and music education to be more diverse and inclusive.
The Incubator Fund offers grants of up to £30,000 to forward-thinking music industry employers to support the careers of people aged 18-25, and gives a lifeline to ambitious organisations and young creatives who have been significantly hit by the pandemic. The funding, which can be spent on wages and support, provides a tangible way for small, independent organisations in the music industry to thrive and collaborate with the next generation and the wider sector.
“We see again and again at Youth Music how young people are finding ingenious ways to navigate their way into the music industries. Nevertheless, their progress is all too often blocked due to entrenched inequalities in the music industries”, said CEO Matt Griffiths. As a key part of the charity’s goal to address inequalities and lack of diversity in the music industries, Youth Music’s Incubator Fund enables music organisations to create sustainable career opportunities for 18-25 year olds.
The second round of the Incubator Fund is boosted by support from YouTube: the collaboration between Youth Music and YouTube will deliver industry expertise and investment to young people and emerging creative organisations nationwide, but most importantly, digital skills to help them adapt and grow their businesses online. “In helping to establish a platform for the next generation of creative talent to shine through, our goal is to create a lasting legacy that ensures the UK remains at the epicentre of culture and creativity globally”, added Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director of YouTube UK.
With COVID-19 continuing to significantly impact many aspects of the music sector, YouTube will provide successful applicants with coaching and additional funding to increase their digital capabilities and innovate for the future. More than sixty organisations will benefit from YouTube Masterclasses and one-to-one mentoring over the next twelve months, including the thirty-one organisations which successfully secured investment in round one of the Youth Music Incubator Fund in November.
The fund is available to people in England, Scotland and Wales. Round two will be closed to applications on Friday 5th February 2021.
For more information about Youth Music’s Incubator Fund, including application advice, click here.
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