PRS for Music Foundation announces the latest artists receiving Flash Funding this time with Wigwam Acoustics and Musicians’ Union

21 April 2016 - Press release

·         4 winners announced for the latest Flash Funding opportunity which offers them each bespoke monitoring and touring support to advance their live career.

·         PRS for Music Foundation have teamed up with Wigwam Acoustics and the Musicians’ Union

PRS for Music Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development across all genres, announces today the 4 artists to be receiving support via the latest edition of its ground-breaking Flash Funding initiative.

The four artists being supported are:

April Towers (Nottingham - to support European and UK dates in May, June and July)

False Advertising (Manchester – to support upcoming UK dates in April and May)

Flight Brigade (London – to support tours and festivals across the UK)

John Joseph Brill (Liverpool – to help with upcoming UK dates) 

PRS for Music Foundation, Wigwam Acoustics and Musicians’ Union have teamed up for this second edition of Flash Funding to pool resources and knowledge, and give 4 artists access to bespoke monitoring packages (such as in-ear monitoring, microphones, control systems) worth up to £10k to ensure consistently great sound across live dates, plus advice and training on touring, promotional support and an additional £375 each for touring costs.

This edition of Flash Funding recognises that the cost of consistent, high quality sound is a challenge for emerging musicians along with the general cost of touring which may not be met by live income streams. This round of Flash Funding will fast-track the winning artists’ careers at a crucial early stage – ensuring tours are as effective as possible. Additional mentoring and training from the partners ensures selected artists make the most of opportunities to build links with fans, promoters and venues across the UK.

Joseph Frankland, Senior Grants and Programmes Manager, PRS for Music Foundation said, “Congratulations to the four successful artists receiving this latest version of Flash Funding.  We received close to 100 applications in 72 hours which is an incredible response and highlights the need for this type of support for emerging artists in the live sector. I look forward to seeing how this support will transform the live shows of April Towers, False Advertising, Flight Brigade and John Joseph Brill, and make a real impact on their careers.”

Joel Perry, Wigwam Acoustics, Concert Touring Manager said,

"Wigwam has long been a supporter of emerging talent so we are excited that through this collaboration with PRS for Music Foundation and the Musicians’ Union we can continue to make a valuable contribution to the development of bands and artists at the early stages of their careers. A huge congratulations to the four artists receiving this support, we look forward to using our 35 years of experience growing and nurturing bands and artists to develop their live performance." 

Kelly Wood, Musicians’ Union’s Live Performance Official said,

“'We know that emerging artists struggle to break even when touring, despite the effort that goes into each and every gig –this Flash Fund gives artists the chance to improve the quality of their tour and will allow them to deliver their best performance at each show. The winning artists demonstrated a real need for both elements of the funding award, and we look forward to following their live progress over the coming months. It’s been an interesting and valuable experience to work with our partners on this project, and hopefully this kind of support will become a growing trend across the grassroots live music scene.”