The London Music Fund and YouTube to expand ground-breaking Amplify funding programme to Liverpool in 2025

12 February 2025 - Press release

 

Award-winning music education charity, the London Music Fund announces an expansion of its grassroots funding programme in partnership with YouTube. This fund supports small organisations providing training opportunities within the music industry, widening access to creative pathways for young people who face barriers in their careers. 

The programme, which has been running successfully in London since 2020, has supported 20 innovative creative projects to date, reaching over 500 young people. Amplify Liverpool will launch in the spring of 2025, supported by UNESCO City of Music. Amplify London will also be announcing the next five projects in receipt of funding, in March 2025. 

Chrissy Kinsella, CEO of the London Music Fund said: "After five successful years of Amplify London, we are excited to be expanding this initiative to Liverpool, a city with such amazing musical heritage. This is the first programme that LMF has taken outside London since our own launch in 2011 and is an important step in our development. We are looking forward to working with local experts and delivery partners in supporting the creative ecosystem in this amazing city."

The programme, generously supported by YouTube, aims to empower organisations to develop their work, forging links with the music industry and music education sector to develop new initiatives that address issues in creative provision for underrepresented young people. Amplify works with young artists, producers and musicians aged 14-21 to access creative projects, mentors, personal development programmes and performance space, supporting them into careers within the creative industry. 

Previously funded projects include Multi-Story Orchestra: 'Young Creatives', designed to give talented you people aged 16-18 the opportunity to create their own music; Rap Club's award-winning programme 'The Spit Game' aimed to celebrate, develop and represent the freshest talent, and promote excellence and vibrancy within young Black Cultures, Girls of Grime's 'Big Sister-Circle Project' aimed at empowering young women in the industry, and offering career pathways, mentoring and artist development, and HvH Arts Camden-based 'Rock-U-Mentory' supporting 10 talented young band members aged 14-16 in developing their musical, production and performance experience. 

Debbi Clark, Founder and CEO of HvH Arts, said: "HvH ARTS are proud to have been one of the Amplify London recipients for 2024. This grant was instrumental in giving our young people the opportunity to perform live as a 10-piece band - 'The Crimson' - playing at Wilderness Festival, Camden Inspire, HvH Festival, The Scoop and Coram's Fields Fireworks Event. Their confidence has soared to such a level that we will be applying to Glastonbury and Latitude Festivals next year as well as entering the music documentary 'Rock U Mentory' into film festivals in January 2025! Thank you, Amplify London!" 

Funding will be available in Liverpool from March 2025, for projects that support young people in pathways towards creative careers. Up to £6,000 in grant funding will be available for five organisations within the Liverpool City Region. 

 

Kevin McManus, Head of UNESCO City of Music Liverpool, supporting the launch of this project in Liverpool said: "Liverpool has long been celebrated as a UNESCO City of Music, with a rich heritage and thriving contemporary music scene that continues to inspire the world and we are very much looking forward to the London Music Fund's Amplify programme extending its reach to Liverpool in 2025.  This grant funding will provide invaluable support to local organisations and young people, helping to nurture the next generation of musical talent and ensure that music remains at the heart of our city's culture and community."

Head of Music Partnerships at Google (EMEA), Christina Matteotti said: "We are thrilled to be widening the reach of the Amplify programme, which has already had a significant impact on grassroots organisations across London, to a city with such a fantastic musical heritage as Liverpool. YouTube is committed to increasing access to career pathways in the creative industries for young people from under-represented backgrounds, and we know that previous participants in Amplify programmes are already making strides in their careers, thanks to opportunities provided by this important funding programme."

 

AMPLIFY LIVERPOOL – APPLICATIONS OPENING MARCH 2025 
Organisations providing musical training or development opportunities (for example music creation, production, technology, recording, creative career support, and live or digital performance opportunities) in the Liverpool City Region, aged 14-21 who face barriers in their music-making and need support to take their skills to the next level can now apply for a grant of up to £6,000 towards projects starting from June 2025 onwards. 

An in-person launch event will be taking place on the morning of Tuesday 18 March 2025 at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. To find out more, and express an interest in attending, please email AmplifyLIV@londonmusicfund.org. 

For more information on Amplify, previously funded projects, and how to apply, visit: www.amplifymusic.uk

For more information about the London Music Fund, visit:
www.londonmusicfund.org