Help Musicians UK opens round two of its 360-degree fund for music creators Do It Differently

08 April 2019 - Press release

The pivotal fund for independent music creators offers a support package across creative, wellbeing and business

 

Help Musicians UK, the independent charity for musicians, has today opened the second round of its most celebrated fund, Do It Differently. Combining support for creative activity, business development, health and wellbeing, it represents the most comprehensive suite of help available to independently-driven creators of original music. 

The UK-wide fund has already been awarded to a host of projects across the country, from Scotland to Brighton, London to Wales and several locations in-between, spanning genres as broad as punk, chamber, hip hop and pop. This year the Do It Differently Fund continues to seek out promising music composers, songwriters, rock bands, electronic producers, DJs, grime MCs, reggae vocalists, hip hop collectives, beatboxers and beyond to progress the charity's mission to create a world where musicians thrive.

The fund offers individuals or bands/ensembles of six members or less, a grant of up to £3,000 towards their creative output. A further £2,000 is set aside for each successful applicant to go towards business planning and wellbeing services available directly from Help Musicians UK and its industry partners.

 

Do It Differently provides support for:

Creative development – With up to £3,000 dedicated to recording, releasing, touring and live development, the fund can facilitate a range of opportunities relating to the creation of new music. The fund can be spent on a range of activity including time to create, session musicians' fees, visual marketing, merchandise production and more.

Business development – Working in conjunction with respected business expert Jonathan Robinson,founder of ThinkMusic, Do It Differently matches awarded creators with industry experts for focussed business mentoring sessions around topics including small scale live and touring, funding and business planning, digital strategies and more.

Health and wellbeing – Recognising the unique emotional and physical pressures of being a music creator, Do It Differently offers a suite of health and wellbeing opportunities where needed. Successful applicants will gain access to the charity's range of Health and Welfare services, including the Musicians Hearing Health Scheme and Music Minds Matter, the free support service providing around the clock advice and a listening ear for people in the industry. Recipients can also access a free clinical assessment from British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) for any performance-related health problem they may have, as well as opt-in access to the Healthy Touring Programme, also in association with BAPAM.

Claire Gevaux, Director of Programme, Help Musicians UK, said: "After an incredible reaction to the first round of the Do It Differently Fund we have seen 22 awardees take full advantage of this truly holistic package of support for independent music creators. The feedback from our partners,ThinkMusic and BAPAM, uncovered a range of challenges that music creators sometimes find more difficult: from preparing for a tour and encouraging healthy habits, to performance anxiety and managing creative life with a family. With more insights after this second round of funding, we will continue to make this opportunity a holistic, person-centred approach with personalised support specific to the creative, business and wellbeing needs of the artist. We'll be offering guidance over the coming weeks in applying for this fund and we look forward to reading and watching all the amazing applications."

Jonathan Robinson, Founder & Director, ThinkMusic said: "Access to music business development is one of the unique aspects of this worthy fund, inspiring and equipping the next wave of talent with the know-how is essential for sustainable career success. ThinkMusic is delighted to be entrusted with connecting specialist insight from a raft of industry experts, tailored to musicians."

Claire Cordeaux, Director, BAPAM, added: "We are delighted to be working with Help Musicians UK on this project. Touring is very intensive, and it is often on tour that health issues arise and can then be difficult to deal with. Staying healthy on tour can be the difference between success and failure and our sessions aim to help artists to reflect on their health needs and plan for a successful tour. Help Musicians UK should be commended for taking this holistic approach to supporting artists."