When: Now until 8th May in various locations across the UK
What: In partnership with high profile artists, Youth Music is putting on a week-long series of gigs nationwide. Grassroots music projects they fund will also be taking part, giving young emerging artists an opportunity to perform in their local community.
Remaining Schedule:
· Thursday 5th May, Stealth, Nottingham. Bicep
· Thursday 5th May, Bell Vue Girls Academy Music Stage, Bradford, BVGA Music Fest
· Thursday 5th May, The Shed, Leicester, Soft Touch Arts presents "The Jam!'
· Thursday 5th May, Common Space, Bradford, All-star entertainment: Summer social
· Thursday 5th May, More Music, Morecambe, More media collective presents: grounded, a night of home grown music
· Friday 6th May, The Dance Studio, Kent, Community Dhol Beats Showcase
· Friday 6th May, Viaduct Meadow, London, Marshall Hootie: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
· Saturday 7th May, St Mary’s Church, Norfolk, South Norfolk Youth Symphonic Band
· Saturday 7th May, The Front Team, Croydon, Syrus Consultancy: Respect The Game Showcase
· Saturday 7th May, Commercial Wharf, Barbican Theatre, Call of The Ocean
· Saturday 7th May, The Old Bus Depot, Nottingham, Sounds of Nottingham
· Saturday 7th May, Poplar Union, London, Grand Union Orchestra - On the Trail of the Bengal Tiger
· Saturday 7th May, Black-E, Liverpool, Music Access All Areas - Liverpool's Royal Court
· Sunday 8th May, Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, The SongLab Artist Showcase
· Sunday 8th May, Ronnie Scott’s, London, Sugarcane
How to get involved: Watch upcoming artists, and help increase access to music making, by buying tickets to a gig here: https://youthmusic.org.uk/upcoming-gigs
About Give a Gig - encouraging equal access to music for young people
· Taking place until 8th May, Give a Gig Week brings together artists, fans and local communities who want to equalise access to music for young people
· The nationwide campaign encourages young people to gain experience performing and working at gigs and share their accomplishments with local communities
· Artists will be getting involved with live shows taking place across the UK, including BICEP (DJ Set), Sugarcane, Old Dirty Brasstards and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes
· Youth Music is supporting projects by giving young people grants of £250 to put on their own gig - additional projects will be offered supplementary funding to put on a bigger gig
· The public can buy a ticket to a gig to catch emerging young artists taking part in Youth Music funded projects across the country
Bridging music inequality through demand for funding
· Accessing financial support continues to be a major barrier to creatives realising their ambitions in the music industry. Research from Youth Music during the pandemic revealed almost a third (31%) of young people say financial resources are the greatest barrier to pursuing and sustaining a career in music
· Yet competition for funding shows no signs of slowing post-pandemic – with Youth Music reporting a 33% increase in funding applications in the last 12 months.
· Youth Music is responding to increasing competition and deepening inequalities across the creative industry with funds such as NextGen
· The NexGen fund will provide early-stage musicians and music industry creatives aged 18-25 (and up to 30 years old for people identifying as Disabled) with up to £2,500 to launch a project, idea or business. The fund is especially aimed at people whose lack of finance holds them back from pursuing their goals.
