The Youth Music Trailblazer Fund
Grants of between £2,000 and £30,000 are available over 2 years for constituted UK organisations for projects that encourage children and young people aged under 25 to make, learn and earn in music.
The Youth Music Trailblazer Fund offers grants of between £2,000 and £30,000 to UK constituted organisations to run projects for children and young people aged 25 and under to make, learn and earn in music.
The following funding is available:
- For organisations that are less than 12 months’ old, grants of between £2,000 and £15,000, or
- For organisations that are more than 12 months’ old, grants of between £2,000 and £30,000.
Projects must meet one or more of the following themes:
1. Early Years – for children aged 0–5 who face barriers to accessing music-making because of their circumstances or where they live. Youth Music encourages applications that promote:
- Access to quality, creative musical experiences that support children’s developmental needs.
- Shared learning between early years specialists, music specialists and parents, so that all become skilled, confident, and engaged in encouraging young children’s musicality, and
- Workforce diversification.
2. Disabled, d/Deaf and Neuro-divergent Young People – for young people aged 0–25 that:
- Ensure that they have equitable access to progress in music in a way that meets their needs and aspirations, and
- Provide routes for Disabled young people into the workforce.
3. Youth Justice System – for children and young people aged 0-25 who are, have been, or are at risk of being involved with the youth justice system. Youth Music encourages applications that:
- Are youth-led and offer culturally relevant and engaging music programmes that promote personal and social outcomes alongside musical development, and
- Work in partnership with other organisations and agencies to support safeguarding and progression and ensure that young people’s needs are met.
4. Young People Facing Barriers – for children and young people aged 0–25 who face barriers to music-making due to their characteristics or life circumstances, or because of where they live. Youth Music encourages application that:
- Are youth-led and offer culturally relevant and engaging music programmes that promote personal and social outcomes alongside musical development, and
- Work in partnership with other organisations and agencies to reach young people facing barriers and ensure that their needs are met.
5. Young Adults – for young adults aged 16-25 who want to take their music further, or for whom music can support wider personal and social outcomes. Youth Music encourages applications that:
- Improve young people’s confidence, skills, social networks, and emotional wellbeing as well as providing specific mentoring, networking, and industry opportunities, and
- Increase and enhance engagement with employment, education, and training.
6. Organisations and the Workforce – work that benefits the people and organisations who provide inclusive musicmaking opportunities for children and young people aged 0-25. Youth Music encourages applications that:
- Enable organisations to be innovative, resilient, and inclusive.
- Develop a diverse workforce that is networked, and skilled in inclusive practice with children and young people.
The Trailblazers’ Fund particularly wants to support applications from:
- Established organisations that want to test a new way of working or disrupt the status quo.
- Small organisations who support children and young people to make, learn or earn in music, and
- Those who work with children and young people facing barriers who want to trial a new music offer.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply is available on the Youth Music website.