The BRIT Trust announces grant funding for East London Arts and Music (ELAM)

14 December 2023 - Press release

The recorded music industry’s leading charity, The BRIT Trust, today announces grant funding for ELAM - a full-time Industry Academy in East London for 16-19 year olds interested in pursuing a career in Music, Film and Television Production and Games Design.

The BRIT Trust’s mission is to draw on the transformative power of music and the arts to do good and to enable positive life pathways for young people of all backgrounds – recognising that this can best be achieved by embracing accessibility, diversity and inclusion as key values. The BRIT Trust has to date made more than 280 grant commitments totalling over £28 million to a wide range of causes and charities across the UK that inspire people to realise their full potential and life chances, whatever their abilities, ethnicity, gender and sexuality. Beneficiaries include The BRIT School, Nordoff and Robbins, Key 4 Life, Music Support, Sing Inside, Not Saints, Independent Venue Community, Heart'n'Soul and London Youth Choir.

ELAM is a world-class 16-19 Academy which opened in September 2014 in one of the most under-represented areas of the UK, providing industry standard courses for trainees in Music, Games Design and Film & Television. It’s mission is to identify, hone, support and connect a pipeline of representative talent from education to employment within the creative industries. Funded by the Department for Education, ELAM’s first full Ofsted inspection in May 2017 resulted in a grading of Outstanding in every category.

Chair of The BRIT Trust, Tony Wadsworth CBE said: “The BRIT Trust has had a close relationship with ELAM for a number of years and I am delighted to expand on this with grant funding. ELAM aligns perfectly with the Trust’s mission for using music and the creative arts as a transformative tool, so on behalf of the Trustees, we take great pride in supporting ELAM to continue their vital work.”

Principal of ELAM, Matt Sheldon said: ‘’Together, we are creating a dynamic, vibrant ecosystem which is enabling talented young people, regardless of their socio-economic background, gender, race or sexuality, to thrive and fulfil their potential. Trainees leave ELAM ‘industry-ready’, with the skills, knowledge and professional behaviours required to ensure a successful career in the creative industries and beyond. There is no other academy quite like it and we cannot thank The BRIT Trust enough for their commitment to ELAM. It is changing lives.’’