The first songwriters and writer producers to receive support through the Writer Producer Fund announced
- Luke Fitton, Shirley T and Mina among the seven songwriter/writer-producers receiving support
PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading funder of new music and talent development, in association with the BASCA Trust, a charity dedicated to music education and supporting songwriters and composers, announce today (Thursday 2 November 2017) the first recipients of support through The Writer Producer Fund.
The supported songwriters/writer-producers are:
- Mina – International Activity
- Reign Write – Equipment; Hardware and Software
- Patrick J Pearson – Creative and Professional Development
- Luke Fitton – Time to Create
- Shirley T – Time to Create
- Hugh Worskett – Writing Space
- Katya Edwards – Writer Camps, Collaboration
Luke Fitton, who is receiving support through the Writer Producer Fund said, “The Writer Producer Fund is an incredibly progressive grant that provides vital support for the people behind the music. There are so many exceptionally talented, hard-working writers and producers out there that find it extremely difficult to maximise their full potential, even after achieving some success. In an industry where writers and producers can often get overlooked this scheme is ahead of the curve in recognising that investing in them can only generate more success.”
Bhavesh Patel, Programme Manager at PRS Foundation said, “The quality of the songwriters and writer producers who applied for the inaugural round of The Writer Producer Fund has demonstrated the need for support in this sector of talented creators who often work behind closed doors. We’re anticipating big things for these grantees, who all displayed exceptional craft and ambition in their applications”
Vick Bain, CEO of BASCA and a trustee of the BASCA Trust said “This is a tremendous outcome for these music writers and a very encouraging start for the Writer Producer Fund. It’s exactly the type of project the trustees are committed to and meets very well one of the core aims of the BASCA Trust in supporting songwriters and composers who wouldn’t otherwise have the means to properly progress their careers.”
The Writer Producer Fund is a ground-breaking new opportunity for songwriters and writer-producers working in popular music genres to further develop their careers and writing/production credits with grants of up to £10,000.
PRS Foundation and the BASCA Trust have initiated this fund in response to the fact that songwriters and writer-producers have not benefited from dedicated grants or major funding programmes of this kind in spite of their role at the centre of the music industry creating the content which drives its success. This new fund recognises the importance of songwriters and writer-producers and aims to support the most talented songwriters and writer-producers to realise their potential.
The next deadline is Tuesday 12th December 2017. Applications can be made through the PRS Foundation website where applicants will need to submit at least five of their works as examples. Writer Producer Fund support can include, recording costs, costs relating to songwriter camps/ co-writes/ collaboration, musician fees, creative / professional development, UK studio space rent, training / skills courses, marketing and promotional costs related to songs/tracks reaching an audience, international activity that could build your profile and benefit your creative development (other than international conference events which can be covered by the International Showcase Fund) and project related maternity or child care costs.
