With recent Black Lives Matter protests calling attention to matters of race and dance music, Youth Music have taken a small step towards addressing systemic injustice within the industry. The U.K. charity recently announced a £2 million incubator fund whose application process will favor “those who are underrepresented.”
The fund will offer grants ranging from £5,000 to £30,000 to businesses, nonprofits and other brands in the music industry. As with previous Youth Music initiatives, it is intended to create sustainable careers for 18-25-year-olds – this time with redoubled emphasis on diversity. According to Mixmag, the fund was made possible with proceeds from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
“The existing music industry model is broken and there’s a new one up for grabs,” said Youth Music CEO Matt Griffiths. “We must use the upheaval and challenges of 2020 as a springboard to hit reset on the music industry and fling open the doors. There’s never been a better time to map and follow a blueprint for the future and prioritize what’s truly important.”
Phase 1 applications for Youth Music’s incubator fund are due Friday, August 14th, 2020. Find more information here.
