Christopher BarrettLiverpool music festival and conference Sound City said its Launch Training programme, which supports 16-24 year-olds looking to get into the industry, will run from 16 October to 18 December and will involve 40 bursaries.
Supported by CAPLL and Arts Council England, Sound City’s Launch Training programme has supported more than 600 aspiring North West artists and music industry professionals in the decade since it was set up. Alumni have gone on to work for companies including Universal Music Group, BBC Introducing, Live Nation and Standon Calling.
Organisers said successful applicants will be eligible for an individual bursary of £750 if they are performers or artists and need financial support to develop their practice. Students who would like to work in the music industry in a variety of roles will be supported through a UK Living Wage four-week work placement at a leading music company.
Sound City MD Becky Ayres said, “We are incredibly proud of the legacy that we’ve created over the past 10 years of Launch, guiding and nurturing artistic and professional talent.”
Vanessa Bakewell, global client partner at Meta and a former Launch mentor, said: “Sound City has achieved incredible things for young people and our industry through its training programmes. Speaking as both a mentor on its programmes and as a recruiter in the music industry, I can say that Sound City is the only dedicated music industry training provider in the North of England that is truly preparing candidates for jobs in our sector in the 21st century.”
Brendan Walsh, who embarked on Sound City Launch training in 2015 and is now international marketing manager at Universal Music Group, said: “The opportunities afforded by Sound City and their training were invaluable to me at the time. Besides offering me a first taste of the industry, it provided me with a confidence that can’t be gained in any other way.”