Artist Development opportunities at The Glasshouse  |  View in browser

Nadia Kadek: A young woman wearing a denim skirt and long sleeve top singing and playing an acoustic guitar on stage.

Hey there,

August is here already, and we’re still glowing from our incredible BBC Proms weekend at the end of July. The whole building was alive with music lovers of every kind, and it was such a joy to watch the excitement and energy build across the weekend.

Even though our building take a little summer break in August, our newsletter certainly doesn’t! We’ve got some brilliant opportunities to share with you this month, and we’re already counting down the days until our gigs and events return in September.

And if you’ve ever thought about joining our team, now’s the time - we still have a couple of tutor vacancies open. If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Every month we share the latest opportunities, resources and events in this newsletter, check out our handpicked list below. Make sure you check the deadlines as some are fast approaching.

Stay creative and take care,

The Glasshouse Artist Development Team
(Lucy, Rianne and Maria)

Cover photo: Nadia Kadek by Ben Hines

Opportunities

MJF 2026 Artist Submissions

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Do you fancy being part of Manchester’s longest-running music festival? Applications are now open to play. MJF2026 will take place from the 15-24th May 2026. MJF is the go-to UK opportunity for contemporary jazz artists to develop their practice and for audiences to experience new music: where artists can find themselves and audiences lose themselves.

Deadline: Friday 19 September 2025

Get Nowt

Two hands are seen - one pushing up a slider on a mixing desk and the other on a DJ booth.

Get Nowt is an electronic music education and development course run by Shy Bairns. It features mentors, training, financial support, software and equipment. The course is for young people who live in the North East aged 18-25. 

Deadline: Monday 1 September 2025

UNLIMITED: Open Awards 25/26

Three individuals are seen on stage. The person centre stage is posing with one hand on their head and the other in the air. The other two are posing either side with a hand on their hip and a hand on their head. They are all wearing shorts and colourful outfits

Ten opportunities are on offer for disabled artists based in England, Scotland or Wales, offering a grand total of £413,000. There are individual awards ranging from £15,000 seed commissions to £80,000 for major production-ready backing. This awards round supports bold, brilliant disabled artists to create, develop and share extraordinary work. 

Deadline: Monday 29 September 2025

MJF Soundcheck 2025

The wording 'MJF Soundcheck' is written in white on a purple and green gradient background. The rest of the image is blurred, so no details are seen

Are you aged 18-29 and living in Greater Manchester? MJF soundcheck is for musicians who want space to try out new things and be supported to grow creatively. Simply apply with a musical idea that you want to develop and MJF will help you to do that, through 1-1 meetings, pairing you with a brilliant artist mentor, introducing you to inspiring industry professionals, providing you with a tailored recommended playlist, and encouraging you to meet other musicians.

Deadline: Monday 15 September 2025

Songwriters in Conversation #3

Hosted by Groundbird - the songwriting pseudonym of Northumbria University academic Richard O'Brien - this is the second in a series of events where some of the North East's top musicians will be in conversation, discussing how they think about the songs they write. This event features The Young Property Developers and Nicky Bray, who will each play for about 30 minutes, followed by an onstage Q&A discussion.

When? Sunday 17 August 2025 at Baba Yagas Loft, North Shields

MJF Youth Advisory Board

A group of people are seen laughing and smiling, looking at each other. The wording 'Youth Advisory Board' is above, written in white

MJF are busy recruiting new members to their Youth Advisory Board, to join for up to two years until the end of the 2027 festival. This is your chance to learn about the inner workings of a music festival and shout about your ideas. The YAB is made up of 10 young people aged 18-25 from varied backgrounds and with various interests. Applicants will be shortlisted, interviewed and appointed by current YAB members.

Deadline: Monday 15 September 2025

Diddley Bow - Make it & Play it

Get down to the roots of rhythm with this fun and funky Tub Bass Workshop. Join musician Rob Collins (of tinguitar.com) as he teaches you how to build and play this classic one-string folk instrument made from everyday items: a washtub, broomstick, and string. Learn the fundamentals of rhythm, technique, and how this humble instrument became a backbone of early American jug bands. No prior experience needed.

When? Friday 5 September 2025 at BAAFest, Bellingham

Amplify Her: Cocktail Meeting

Amplify Her is a thriving community committed to empowering women in the music industry. Join them for a refreshing drink, connect with like-minded music professionals, and leave inspired. Their mission is to cultivate a community of female music industry professionals who not only uplift each other in advancing their careers, but also champion the cause of gender equality.

When? Tuesday 2 September 2025 at Meraki Greek Restaurant & Bar Fitzrovia, London


Funding

Peter Whittingham Jazz Award

A young man is seen standing and playing saxophone. The man has dark hair and a white jacket on

The Peter Whittingham Jazz Award supports emerging jazz artists or groups with the creativity and ambition to build a career in music. £5,000 in financial support towards your work. This could include recording new material, a period of mentoring, promotional activity and much more.

The next round opens on Monday 18 August 2025 and closes on Friday 12 September 2025 

Luton Create Fund

The Luton Arts multicoloured logo is at the centre of the image against a white background

Luton Arts will offer different levels of funding to help bring creative ideas to life, including but not limited to visual and performing arts, outdoor arts, film, design, storytelling, comedy, poetry, music, digital creativity, fashion, heritage, community traditions or contemporary youth cultures. 

Deadline: Friday 26 September 2025

Will Smith Emerging Artist Fund

The wording 'The Supporting Act Foundation' logo is centre screen, written in black against a peach background

This fund is a partnership between actor, producer, musician, Will Smith and The Supporting Act Foundation. It was created to support emerging music artists from underrepresented groups in the countries included in the 2025 “Based on a True Story” Summer Tour in Europe. The fund will award a total of €100,000, distributed as 20 unrestricted grants of €5,000 each. 

Deadline: Monday 1 September 2025

2025-26 Emergents Programme 

The wording 'Call Out: Emergent Artists' is shown at the top of the image, written in black against a yellow background. Underneath, a young woman with black hair is seen speaking into a microphone

A professional development opportunity for early-career Disabled musicians in England. The programme supports five artists with a £1,000 creative bursary, along with stipends for participating in online creative sessions and networking events. The initiative is part of the Drake Music Collective and aims to foster new talent through collaboration, visibility, and accessible support.

Deadline: Wednesday 20 August 2025

2025-26 Accessible Instrument Development Fund

A variety of musical instruments including a small harp and trumpet are placed on a table. People in the background are using recording gear including a computer and headphones to record the instruments

There is seed funding available from Drake Music's DMLab London project, supporting makers and technologists in the creation of new accessible instruments. They are offering two grants of £1,000 each to support the development of new projects, as well as support from the DM team. 

Deadline: Sunday 31 August 2025

Electronic Music Award

The wording 'Electronic Music Awards' is written in yellow and white against a dark background. A young person is seen to the right of the image at a DJ desk and pointing their finger in the air

This 12-month career accelerator programme is for electronic musicians who are looking to take the next step or expand their career. You could receive up to £3,000 towards your own music project, as well as business advice from industry experts, online meet-ups, and online courses to build out your networks.

Deadline: Friday 29 August 2025

National Lottery Project Grants

The wording 'Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants' is written in black against a blue background

Arts Council England offer Project Grants, which are always open for applications between £1,000 and £100,000. It's an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. The fund supports thousands of individual practitioners, community and cultural organisations.

Deadline: Rolling applications

Youth Music Trailblazer Fund

The Youth Music logo is at the top of the image written in black against a yellow background. Below, the words 'Trailblazer Fund' are written in yellow against a black background

The Youth Music Trailblazer fund offers grants of £2,000 to £30,000 to organisations in England to run projects for children and young people (25 or under) to make, learn and earn in music. The project should trial work or test a new way of working, sustain a grassroots programme or disrupt the status quo (or all three!).

Deadline: Friday 29 August 2025 


Resources

20 UK Composer Schemes: Alternative Classical

A full orchestra. The right hand side of the image shows about 20 people of all ages playing cello, and the left hand side of the picture shows about 20 people of all ages playing violin.

Alternative Classical have put together a selection of UK composer schemes which are on offer throughout the year. These range from schemes tailored towards those looking for the first step on the professional ladder, a creative tangent away from a current practice, or for those looking to work with a larger musical force.


Visa Advice for International Touring: Help Musicians

An individual is seen walking away from the camera, carrying a guitar on their back and pulling a yellow suitcase in their right hand

Help Musicians have compiled a resource pack if you're a musician who is planning on performing abroad. Get expert advice on visas, work permits and passports.


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The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (North Music Trust) is registered in England as a company limited by guarantee, number 4044936 and as a charity, number 1087445.

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (North Music Trust), St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 2JR