HMUK LAUNCHES HELP MUSICIANS DEVELOP FUNDS

Help Musicians UK (HMUK) increases its investment in musicians’ careers as the charity launches its new Help Musicians Develop funds today.

Help Musicians Develop stems from reviews of the Career Development Bursary (CDB) scheme, which from 2015-2017 has funded 113 artists by investing in innovation across artistic practice. From tuba players to electronic music producers, recipients have benefitted from residencies in Banff and mentoring with an inspiring teacher.

The fund will see a £270,000 investment over the next 18 months and will allow artists to take stock professionally and creatively through two distinct strands:

Transmission fund: £500 – £1,500 to support formal and time-limited training and mentoring opportunities in both the UK and internationally
Fusion fund: £2,000 – £5,000 to support UK-based cross disciplinary, collaborative and research and development projects

The Transmission Fund, similar to the previous CDB scheme, will continue to fund high-quality development opportunities at crucial points. There will be seven rounds over the next 12 months, more than ever before, with the first round closing on 1 September 2017.

The Fusion Fund is designed to give musicians the chance to develop and test new work, ideas or potential career directions through inspiring periods of collaboration. With music at the centre, projects will work across sectors, art forms and disciplines. Each round of the Fusion Fund will have a regional focus, the inaugural round opening in Northern Ireland on 31 July 2017 and closing on 11 September 2017.

Both funds are open to professional and emerging professional musicians aged over the age of 21. The previous upper age limit of 35 has been removed—acknowledging that development continues throughout a musician’s life time.