A total of 28 up-and-coming Wales-based artists have been successful in their bid for a music bursary worth £35,000 collectively.
The successful artists and bands from across Wales have been
awarded up to £2,000 to help support their careers and develop their music,
from studio time to promotion and touring costs.
Successful applicants include reggae singer-songwriter Aleighcia Scott (pictured) and Christian Punter who crafts songs inspired by his local village.
The Launchpad fund is part of BBC Cymru Wales and Arts
Council Wales’ Horizon project, which aims to develop contemporary music with two
panels of industry experts chosen to select the most suitable applicants.
Applications for the fund opened in September 2018 to
Wales-based artists writing, producing, and performing original contemporary music
and Launchpad received over 100 bids.
Since the scheme started in 2014, Horizons and the Launchpad
fund have helped over 150 artists from over 60 towns across Wales.
Singer songwriter Gwilym Bowen Rhys responded to her
successful application, saying: ‘I'm thrilled at having received the Launchpad
funding! It's a valuable help to any Welsh musician who wishes to bring their
music to new audiences at home and abroad. I will use the money to film a music
video and a mini documentary about my new album which is due out in May.’
Bethan Elfyn, project manager, Horizons commented: ‘We’ve
seen Welsh music enjoy a particularly prolific and lucrative time in the past
12 months so it’s good to see Launchpad continue to inject much needed funds to
some of the exciting new crop of artists coming through.
‘These grants can really make a difference in injecting some
money at a vital time for new artists either in recording or promoting new
material. You’ll see from the list of artists how exciting the range of musical
genres and creative ideas are right now in Wales, from those starting out to
those taking the next step and pushing themselves a bit further.’
Lisa Matthews-Jones, Arts Council Wales added: ‘Launchpad is
always one of the most lively and difficult decision panels to be involved in.
It was inspirational to see the range and diversity of music projects coming
forward, from across Wales. We hope these awards will enable emerging musicians
across Wales to take their plans forward. We can’t wait to experience the
results.’
