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The Big Music Project Funded by the Big Lottery Fund Delivered by Global, The BPI and UK Youth Launch event at the British Music Experience O2

Monday 17th February, London: Thanks to the Big Lottery Fund, more than 150 young people from across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will descend upon London’s iconic music venue, The O2, at the start of BRITs Week to celebrate the launch of The Big Music Project.

Supported by artists including Plan B, MNEK, Chase & Status, and Capital's Martin Humes and Pandora, The Big Music Project (TBMP) is a £4 million initiative wholly funded by the Big Lottery Fund, and is all about music, young people, and possibilities. This year long project, which kicks off in April, will include a national music competition - The Big Music Project Competition powered by Next BRIT Thing, alongside nationwide careers fairs, community projects through youth clubs and hundreds of work experience and internship opportunities, all fully supported online.

Global, The BPI and UK Youth are lead partners of TBMP, Capital FM is the key media partner. 

Aiming to build confidence, create real career opportunities, and secure positive outcomes and futures using the power of music, TBMP will harness the attraction of the music industry and its many ancillary careers to empower and engage more than 4.5 million young people aged 14-24 across the UK, using a list of 100 hubs and 1000 local champions identified and selected by UK Youth. The official launch event is hosted at the British Music Experience at The O2 and will feature workshops, Q&A panels, performances, and an exclusive backstage tour of the BRITs set just 2 days ahead of the renowned Awards show. Speakers will include artists, music executives, and young people who have secured their first jobs in the music industry and are happy to share their journeys and experiences.

Preparations are underway to take The Big Music Project on tour later in the year. Four national events are planned for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in September and October 2014, all brought together by Music Matters.

Peter Ainsworth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said:
“The Big Music Project is all about inspiring young people across the UK to fulfil their potential and achieve their personal goals. It is just one of a number of initiatives the Big Lottery Fund is backing that aim to empower young people to shape their own futures and to play an active role in their communities. This exciting event today is a great way to kick off The Big Music Project and is just the start of its engagement with young people up and down the country through a range of inspiring events, workshops and work experience opportunities.”

Dominic Cotton, Interim CEO of UK Youth adds:
“Music is the perfect medium to engage the young people we support. This project will reach and inspire thousands and create tangible opportunities for many of those who choose to get involved.”

Chief Executive of the BPI and The BRIT Awards, Geoff Taylor, said:
“We are really excited about the opportunities that The Big Music Project will create for young people who never dared to dream that the music industry would come direct to their doorstep with the skills, contacts, and reach that this initiative offers.”
 
“We'll give talented young musicians the chance to compete and perform in front of industry stars and decision-makers. And we'll offer internships in record companies, provide work experience at the BRIT Awards, and signpost young people towards real training opportunities, so that they may one day find themselves working in one of the many exciting roles in the business.  We can’t wait to get out on the road to discover a new generation of emerging talent and music executives.  Get involved - it could be your chance to make it big!"

Stephen Miron, Group CEO, Global summed up:
“Here at Global, we are obsessed with radio, music and entertainment – this is our world. We passionately believe that music can be a catalyst for change, and are committed to supporting the Big Lottery Fund music project... in a big way. By providing access to Capital FM, the UK’s No1 hit music station with 7.5 million weekly listeners, we are well placed to inspire young people to follow their dreams and fulfil their potential through our shared love of music.”

Will Kennard, Chase & Status and ELAM Co-Founder adds:

“We are starting ELAM in recognition of all of the amazing talent that is out there.
We want to see this talent grow by giving it the best opportunities, the recognition it deserves, and the skills it will need to hit its true potential. It's exciting for us that The Big Music Project shares this ethos. Together we will be able to provide the best access and opportunities for young people who have a passion for working in music and it's connecting industries.

Supporting The Big Music Project means a lot to us and we are excited for what the year will hold.”

http://www.twitter.com/BigMusicUK       
http://www.facebook.com/bigmusicUK
http://www.thebigmusicproject.co.uk
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#BigMusic

Notes to editors:

The aims of the BIG Music Project are:
1. To deliver a large scale, year long, media-led youth engagement campaign, reaching over 4,500,000 young people aged 14-24 across the UK, and focused on the opportunities created for them by their passion for and interest in music.
2. To create first opportunities to make or produce music, thereby increasing confidence and collaboration skills, and building links across communities.
3. To nurture and develop young musicians both musically and commercially to provide them with a rounded view of the industry they aspire to work in.  This will cover training on marketing, social networking, recording, production, PR, promotion, legal affairs and other elements that will help talented acts rise to the next level.
4. To deliver community-based learning programmes that use music as the ‘hook’ to promote opportunities, employability and citizenship to disadvantaged 14-24 year-olds.
5. To deliver best-in-class digital tools and provide peer-to-peer mentoring by other highly motivated young people.
6.  To develop routes into employment in highly desirable industries while also enabling young people to develop transferable skills towards employment in any industry.

Aims to be achieved through:
1. A major media campaign driven by Capital FM to reach in excess of 4,500,000 young people through radio, social media and online activity. This will promote participation in the rest of the project.
2. Four national The Big Music Project events (brought to you by Music Matters) that will attract over 1,000 young people each through major artist performances. These events will promote opportunities to engage with the music industry, sign up to our music competition and explore our work opportunities programme.
3. A nationwide music competition called The Big Music Project Competition (powered by The Next Brit Thing) which develops talent, introduces young people to the inner workings of the music industry and signposts local music-related development opportunities.
4. A work opportunities programme called ‘On Track’ offering in excess of 250 placements, ranging from the short term to year-long paid internships across the music industry and beyond.
5. A grassroots training and development programme delivered through 100 youth clubs reaching in the region of 25,000 young people. We will recruit 1,000 project champions to learn about community cohesion, citizenship and employability, with music as the unifying theme. These champions will go on to peer educate a further 10,000 young people.
6. A major campaign website integrating existing social media platforms, providing downloadable resources and upload functionality for young people to showcase their creative skills.

Global is one of Europe's fastest growing music and entertainment companies.  Its radio stations include the UK's three biggest commercial radio networks – Capital, Heart and Classic FM – as well as Smooth, LBC, Capital XTRA, Xfm and Gold.  Global also operates two television channels, Capital TV and Heart TV, and a music talent and music publishing business with a roster of international recording artists.  Global is led by Founder & Executive President, Ashley Tabor, Group CEO Stephen Miron, and Director of Broadcasting, Richard Park. It is chaired by Lord Allen.

The BPI is the representative voice of the UK recorded music business. It is a trade organisation funded by its members - which include hundreds of independent music companies and the UK’s three major record labels.

The BPI also organises the annual BRIT Awards show as well as the Classical BRIT Awards show. The organising company BRIT Awards Limited, is a fully owned subsidiary of the BPI. Substantial proceeds from both shows go to the BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the BPI that has donated almost £15m to charitable causes nationwide, since its foundation in 1989.

UK Youth is a national charity at the heart of a network of organisations that support young people to learn, grown and succeed. It develops and promotes learning opportunities beyond mainstream school and through regional youth associations and local groups reaches 690,000 young people each year.

Big Lottery Fund
• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.

• The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.

• The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.

For further information on The Big Music Project please contact:

DEBRA GEDDES, Great Northern PR, debra@greatnorthernpr.co.uk