Music

A music academy supporting Ukrainian refugees has said it requires further funding to continue its programme.

Last week, the London Performing Academy of Music (LPMAM) celebrated the graduation of its first intake of Ukrainian refugee music students.

Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, LPMAM has enrolled 54 Ukrainian students, 32 of whom are studying in London, while the rest are studying online.

The academy has been supported by licensing company PPL and record labels association BPI, while scholarships for student refugees have been donated by The BRIT Awards and Universal Music UK.

But a press release published on behalf of the academy says it is “in desperate need of further funding from other parts of the industry to continue its programme”.

Speaking at the academy’s Winter Graduation Ceremony, LPMAM Founder, Dr Stefania Passamonte, said: “We’re so moved by this inaugural success of students saved from the conflict in Ukraine… even more so as three of them had to return after their exams and could not be honoured in person.”

A new agency representing gender minority composers has launched in London.

Operated by Register, a music agency specialising in licensing and music supervision, 515 is a new venture dedicated to representing female and gender minority composers, artists, producers and sound designers. 

Only 2.8% of music producers are female, according to a study conducted last year by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, dropping to just 0.7% for women of colour. The same analysis showed that between 2013 and 2022, only 7% of Hollywood films were scored by women. 

Register founders Hollie Hutton and Hannah Charman said they started 515 to “open more doors for the underrepresented sectors of the composition talent pool”.

“We discovered, over the course of our careers, that the same handful of people were winning most of the work and that not enough gender-minority composers were even being pitched on projects."

Despite this, the Register team reports an increasing demand for female and gender minority composers.

Emily Richardson, Head of 515, said: “We’ve frequently been asked to scout them for film and TV projects and would continue to support them throughout the process, acting as agents. So we ended up thinking, ‘Why don’t we make this official?’”

“515 has been built on integrity. There’s so much amazing untapped talent out there. We really believe in what we’re doing and the potential to open filmmakers’ ears to a new world of composers while also making a change in the industry.” 

“I really do think that in 10 years’ time, the industry will look very different, and I strongly believe that this starts at grassroots level,” added Richardson.

“We need to be creating pipeline opportunities and encouraging people to take them. Those who are already here should be actively making the industry more inclusive, unlearning systemic biases, having equal representation at senior and board levels, and always having diversity front of mind.”

Ticketing giant Ticketmaster is launching a charity upsell option to support Music Venues Trust (MVT).

For one month starting 17 October, to coincide with MVT’s annual Venues Day, anyone buying a ticket on Ticketmaster will be given the option to donate directly to the music charity.

Ticketmaster has agreed to run the initiative annually and is pledging to match all donations received.

MVT CEO Mark Davyd told IQ the upsell will provide a practical method for fans to support grassroots music venues.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Ticketmaster team for putting it in place,” he added.

“Ticketmaster matching all fan donations is a powerful message for the whole industry about the support our sector needs and the will of the music community to provide it.”

This year, MVT’s Venues Day will be marked with an event at London’s The Fireworks Factory, inviting delegates from across the UK’s grassroots music venue sector to workshops, discussions and presentations.

The event offers support to people running grassroots venues and connects them with services that can help them.

Last week, MVT announced the first acquisition under its Own Our Venues scheme, aiming to safeguard the future of grassroots music venues through a community ownership initiative.

Manchester has successfully bid to host the global music scene’s biggest conference, WOMEX, next October.

The music convention is billed as the most international and culturally diverse music meeting in the world and takes places in a different European city each year.

The event, which features a trade fair, talks, films and showcase concerts, opens to music industry delegates during the day and to the public for night-time ticketed events.

It is expected to attract over 2,600 music professionals and performing artists from around 90 different countries when Manchester hosts the event’s 30th anniversary from 23-27 October 2024.

The successful bid was led by the city council alongside local industry partners. Estimates suggest the convention will provide a direct economic boost to Manchester and the city region of around £3m.

Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, said the figures “speak for themselves in terms of the economic impact that hosting WOMEX 2024 on behalf of the UK will have”.

“But this isn't just about the numbers. Just as important will be the real opportunities it will give our musicians and other professionals working in the music industry to network and do business on their own doorstep with their peers from around the globe.”

WOMEX 2024 has received a £300,000 grant from Arts Council England and will also receive support from British Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Manchester City Council.