Help Musicians UK celebrate the first 22 music creators who have received funding from the our first ever Do it Differently Fund – totalling over £59,000 distributed.
Do it Differently was created by HMUK in partnership with BAPAM (British Association for Performing Arts Medicine) and ThinkMusic to champion the UK’s exceptional DIY talent. It provides the most comprehensive suite of support yet across creative, business and wellbeing for independently-driven music creators.
Launched in October this year, Do it Differently received 460 applications, the highest number of applications for a single HMUK fund. The hugely anticipated second round of Do It Differently will open in Spring 2019. The fund offers a grant of up to £3,000 focused on creative development, plus an optional £2,000 to go towards business planning and wellbeing services.
The Do it Differently Fund has been HMUK’s most accessible fund yet, seeing the charity take applications on video for the first time and from the broadest range of music-makers. Bands, soloists, producers, DJs, songwriters and composers all applied, a higher than average proportion of the applicants to this fund were female (68%).
HMUK assembled a diverse judging panel of industry experts, including artist manager and independent assessor Andrew Ellis, Brighter Sound Project Manager Kate Lowes, The Rattle Community Manager Jess McCarten, ThinkMusic Director Jonathan Robinson and Holly Wilson, Concert Promotions Coordinator at DHP Family, which selected the final 22 recipients.
The 22 Do it Differently music-creators are a rich example of the UK’s DIY scene. The selected artists, spanning the UK from London to Scotland and Wales, reflect a diverse range of genres, including experimental, pop, folk, jazz, grime, hip hop and soul. They will use their grants to support several aspects of their career, from self-releasing, studio hire, mixing and mastering, to touring costs, hiring session musicians, visual design, PR and marketing.
The 22 awardees are:
Amble Skuse, AWATE, Calista Kazuko, BABYTEETH, The Anchoress, Bloom, ESKA, Georgia Ruth, Bellatrix, Cassels, Julian Costello, Kirk Barley, KYRI, Dead Naked Hippies, MEI, Michael Begg, Nathan James Dearden, Robyn Steward, Lady Sanity, VanIves, Valerie Welbanks, Stergin
Claire Gevaux, Help Musicians UK Director of Programme, said: “The Do it Differently fund was formed as a direct response to what we heard from music-makers across the country, and we have been able to create something completely unique in the form of a holistic package of creative, career, health and welfare support. The volume of applications we received was the highest we’ve had to date, and the quality and creativity in those applications was remarkable. The resulting 22 incredibly talented awardees represents a truly diverse pool of music creators from across the UK. We’re delighted that so many female artists have benefited from this innovative fund which saw genres ranging from pop, folk and hip hop to grime, soul and some incredible experimental projects. The Do it Differently Fund was created in partnership with ThinkMusic and British Association for Performing Arts Medicine to celebrate and empower independently-driven artists who want to develop sustainable careers and keep in tune with their health and wellbeing. We look forward to meeting all the artists in the New Year and to launching the next round in Spring 2019”.
