We are delighted to announce that SoCo has been successful in an application to the PRS Foundation Open fund to support the development of Urban Music in Southampton.
This funding will allow us to Expand on the work of our Urban Music Development Unit (UMDU), providing artist support, studio time, media development and distribution to support a number of urban artists in the city to reach significantly wider audiences, dramatically raising the profile of urban music in Southampton.
Many young urban artists in Southampton struggle to find meaningful progression routes to develop their musical careers. It’s a challenge for all genres, with many artists in rock, pop and jazz moving out of the city into larger metropolitan centres such as Bristol, Brighton or London. This is often not even an option for urban artists, and so they stop pursuing a career in music all together.
Our aim is to support up to 12 artists in the city, helping them to produce outstanding and innovative new music, pushing boundaries and showcasing the incredible talent in the city. By helping them to raise their game and get the support they need to write, produce, record and publish their work, it will provide the fertile environment for more emerging artists to join a growing urban music movement.
This funding will provide the resource to engage with leading producers and engineers, supporting local studios to also be part of this exciting new movement. We will be effective and innovative with media beyond the music recordings, using video and social media to reach new audiences. We want to work with fresh and creative film makers to capture the vibrance of the urban music scene, producing a high quality end product.
Combined with a project grant from Arts Council England, and support from Hampshire Police and the Southampton/Hampshire Violence Reductions Units, this project will help facilitate substantial artist support, that will include mentoring and coaching, on all aspects of their music careers, including performance, industry, press and promotion.
For more information get in touch with the UMDU team.
