PPL to support PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Partner programme
PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, announces today that their nationwide Talent Development Partner programme will receive support from music licensing company PPL. This builds on the close relationship forged between PPL and PRS Foundation through the PPL Momentum Music Fund and the International Showcase Fund.
Launched in 2016 and expanding each year, PRS Foundation’s pioneering network of Talent Development Partners brings together organisations, including venues, festivals, rehearsal spaces and studios, working on the frontline of talent development and supporting thousands of music creators across all genres and regions of the UK. They are selected for the quality and range of opportunities on offer, the year-round impact of their work, and because of what they bring to the network. The current 2020-2021 cohort encompasses 49 exceptional organisations. Find out more here.
Talent Development Partners receive a grant from the Foundation for their year-round activity. They also act as PRS Foundation ambassadors, signposting music creators to appropriate PRS Foundation funds and other network opportunities, with hundreds of creators already benefitting from the strategic partnership opportunities which have resulted from working together.
PPL will be the second organisation to support the programme alongside Youth Music. In addition to supporting the Talent Development Partner programme, PPL are the lead partner for PRS Foundation’s ground-breaking PPL Momentum Music Fund, for artists at crucial career tipping points, and support PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund, which provides grants to help export-ready UK artists showcase at music industry-facing festivals and conferences and increase their audience globally.
Joe Frankland, CEO of PRS Foundation said,
“Our Talent Development Partners play a vital role in the talent development pipeline. More than 5,000 musicians and music creators per year access the partners’ programmes receiving meaningful, timely and impactful support to enable them to fulfil their potential. We’re delighted to welcome our friends at PPL as a partner on this programme and help us to support talent to create outstanding new music and build sustainable careers.
The Covid-19 pandemic made it a challenging year for most organisations – particularly for those working in the live sector. We have been supporting organisations through a tough year and have been very impressed by the resilience and adaptability of most TDPs. With many music creators struggling financially and professionally, the TDPs have stepped up to meet changing creative and career needs.
PPL’s commitment to this programme, combined with significant support from our main donor, PRS for Music, and top-up funding from Youth Music, will allow our TDPs to sustain development and play a crucial role in recovery from 2021-22.”
Peter Leathem, CEO of PPL said,
“The UK is known around the world for the quality of its music creators. This is in large part thanks to the grassroots network of venues, festivals, labels, charities and many other organisations that work hard to develop and promote talent across all genres and backgrounds – our country’s rich musical heritage would not exist without them. PPL is proud to be a supporter of PRS Foundations’ Talent Development Partners, a programme that funds the work of many of these much-needed organisations.”
This week sees the start of the PRS Foundation annual Talent Development Conference – a series of panels, speeches and networking opportunities, presented with contributions from the network of Talent Development Partners, sharing best practice and forging new strategic partnerships for 2021 and beyond. You can sign up for free access to the virtual panels and sessions here.
