Just days after the release of GSCE and A-Level results, The Big Music Project is offering paid internships in the music business to young people across the UK.
Funded by The Big Lottery Fund and Global's Make Some Noise, The Big Music Project is a collaboration between two of the biggest names in UK music – the UK’s number one hit music station, Global’s Capital brand, which reaches 7.5 million weekly listeners across the UK, and the BPI who are behind the BRIT Awards. Both have joined up with charity UK Youth to help 14-24 year olds, across the country, build confidence and develop transferable skills to improve their prospects in the music industry and other employment.
The internships are being offered by a range of music companies and organisations across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England and are all advertised at www.thebigmusicproject.co.uk and through an on-air Capital FM campaign.
Over the past 12 months The Big Music Project has already funded 24 internships offering paid roles in a variety of companies including labels, publishers, music charities, radio production and in digital distribution. The internships have given young people hands-on experience in event production, sync, music management, music distribution, and artist development, with many of these converting into full-time entry-level roles in the business. All interns are paid the Living Wage of £9.15 per hour in London and £7.85 per hour across the rest of the UK.
Peter Ainsworth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “These paid internships offer a range of fantastic opportunities across the UK for young people to get hands-on experience to develop their skills and improve their long-term career prospects. The Big Music Project is just one of a number of initiatives the Big Lottery Fund is investing in to empower young people to improve their futures.”
Ronan Morrissey, who undertook a Big Music Project internship at British Underground, had this to say about the experience: “This opportunity with British Underground and The Big Music Project has been a brilliant experience. After struggling for months to find any voluntary experience within the music industry, I was delighted to see the various paid positions advertised through TBMP. I made a huge effort to apply for as many positions as I could, and felt great when I found out I landed this internship with British Underground.
“I've had some unforgettable experiences with BU so far, and I've learnt so much about the industry and how it works. Furthermore, because my role is diverse, I feel this opportunity is really helping develop all the skills I need to excel in music industry.
“I would advise any young person trying to forge a career in the music industry to utilise the fantastic opportunities that The Big Music Project has to offer.”
