Liverpool City Council: Talent Development Partner 2023
LIMF Academy
LIMF Academy is aimed at emerging music creators between the ages of 16-25 from across Merseyside, the award-winning talent development programme gives exclusive access to a curated creative and career development programme which includes showcase opportunities, networks, investment, mentoring and insider know-how from the music industry.Ni Maxine is a neo-Jazz singer-songwriter; a black woman exploring themes of home, identity, self-esteem and belonging. Ni joined the LIMF Academy in 2021 and we focused on helping her create a buzz around her artistry and brand and thinking about who she wanted to be as an artist, how she wanted to present herself and where she wanted to sit in the industry. In January 2022, she sold out her debut headline show in Liverpool, which LIMF Academy supported through the grant.
LIMF Academy introduced her to the UK jazz scene, including Tomorrow’s Warriors, Jazz Re:freshed and Jazz North, which has opened doors to profile-raising live and radio opportunities and a network of musicians. She is now being heavily pursued by Platoon for a deal. The academy connected Ni with BBC Music Introducing both locally and nationally and she has gone on to get ardent support on her ‘unreleased’ singles – leading to her having track of the day on BBC Radio 1. She has also been supported on a 1-1 basis with navigating some complex relationships and difficulties that she has had with her mental health, which has been vital to her progression.