Bristol Music Trust: TDN 2026
Short Project Title: Bristol Beacon’s Talent Development Programme 2024-27
Organisation Biog: Bristol Beacon is a registered music charity, renowned venue, award-winning music education hub. As a national leader in inclusion, our name is a symbol of hope and community, a focal point for music and a place of welcome, warmth and light. We deliver a vibrant, multi-genre artistic programme of over 800 concerts and festivals to an audience of over 380,000 each year. Through our talent development programme we nurture the musicians of the future from school to stage, inspiring 30,000 young people annually as well as hundreds of emerging artists through mentoring, showcasing, commissions and into-industry training.
Programme Description: Delivered in partnership with PRS Foundation, our Talent Development Programme launched a ‘Resident Artists Scheme’ for mid-stage music creators in Bristol, alongside fresh annual showcasing opportunities for the West of England’s up-and-coming talent through our ‘Above the Noise Showcase’ and ‘Simple Things Festival’. The ‘Resident Artists Scheme’ supports three of the city’s most talented music creators facing a tipping point in their careers – supercharging their development with a paid, one-year residency. By opening our venue and studio facilities to the chosen artists, we provide them with the time, space and resource necessary to elevate their careers through experimentation, opportunity and the exploration of new creative directions. Our ‘Above the Noise Showcase’ offers some of the city’s most forward-thinking artists the opportunity to perform live to a highly engaged audience. The Showcase follows a day of talks from top industry experts as part of our one-day music industry event designed to connect the region’s scene with the modern industry. Lastly, our flagship showcasing event, Bristol Takeover, is now integrated with our critically-acclaimed ‘Simple Things Festival’ to provide an even more valuable platform for the most exciting talent creating new music across Bristol and the West of England.