New Funding Available To Music Companies To Support Paid Internships

Music businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales can now apply for funding to support the creation of paid internships, announced the organisers of The Big Music Project.

Funded by The Big Lottery Fund, The Big Music Project is a partnership between the UK’s biggest music and entertainment brands. Led by Capital FM, which reaches 7.3 million weekly listeners across the UK and the BPI which is responsible for the iconic BRITs brand, both are working alongside youth work charity UK Youth to help youngsters from every corner of the UK take a step closer to their dream career.

The Big Music Project is offering funding to support up to 50% of the total wage costs of an internship lasting between 3 and 12 months in any area of the business – from Digital Marketing, Communications and A&R to Human Resources, Social Media and Finance.

Employers will be supported throughout the marketing and recruitment process and will be offered guidance on best-practice for internships in the music industry. As funding is limited, each company should complete a simple application setting out the role they would like to offer and the mentoring support they can provide to the successful candidate.

Interested companies can download the Guidance Notes and Application Form from The Big Music Project website available now at http://www.thebigmusicproject.co.uk/internshipprogramme/ The deadline for applications is 6 October 2014.

Calling on employers to offer internships, BPI and BRIT Awards Chief Executive, Geoff Taylor, said,

“Talented interns provide an injection of new blood, bright ideas and fresh thinking into growing businesses. Through The Big Music Project, we are giving a helping hand to music companies across the UK to fulfil their potential and to invest in the future of our industry.”

The year-long project – supported by Plan B, Will Kennard from Chase & Status, chart-topping boyband Lawson, Foxes, Olly Murs, MNEK, and Capital’s Marvin Humes – will aim to reach more than 4.5 million young people, aged 14 to 24 across the UK, helping them to build confidence and develop transferable skills through training and career opportunities to improve their future prospects in the music industry and other employment.

The Big Music Project will deliver a number of exciting opportunities for young people over the next twelve months:

* The Big Music Project Live in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and London in September and October will see thousands of young people get hands-on experience of music industry careers. Each event will be packed with live music, big name speakers, first class advice from industry experts, information on work opportunities in the local area, and the chance to find out how this project can make a difference in the local community. Free tickets are now available on The Big Music Project website.

* The Big Music Project Competition – a BRIT Awards-supported music competition powered by Next BRIT Thing – to find and develop musical talent from across the UK. The team will be scouring Belfast, Glasgow, Gateshead, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Portsmouth and London for the best of British talent. Young finalists will come to The O2 in London for a UK-wide national final in the week of The BRIT Awards 2015.

* The creation of a BRIT School Toolkit for UK Youth Champions to help develop music initiatives in their own communities. The material has been developed from BRIT School content, fully accredited and branded accordingly. In total some 11,000 young people will benefit directly through this part of the programme.

More details about The Big Music Project can be found at www.thebigmusicproject.co.uk

Source: www.thebigmusicproject.co.uk