
Over the past decade in the U.K., financial constraints and shifting community resources have put many grassroots music spaces under increasing pressure. There is an urgent need to protect spaces that offer young creatives a platform to explore their talents, collaborate with peers, and pursue their artistic ambitions. That's why Spotify is excited to partner with Youth Music, a leading U.K. charity committed to helping marginalized young people make and monetize music.
Together, we're creating a dedicated fund to support 15 grassroots youth spaces across the U.K. that are currently facing imminent closure or struggling to survive. This initiative will provide essential resources to sustain spaces where young people gather, create, and engage in music and other forms of artistic expression, especially in underserved communities.
We recognize the incredible role that grassroots spaces play in shaping the future of music and creativity, especially for young people who rely on these spaces to express themselves and develop their craft, said Dina Gabriel, Spotify's Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Impact. By working with Youth Music, we can make a meaningful impact in safeguarding these spaces and the opportunities they create.
The funding will support a wide range of initiatives across those community hubs, such as a band project for disabled young people, a youth-led studio in a remote coastal town, and a music project to promote inclusion for minoritized women and people of marginalized genders.
These spaces are the heart of local communities, giving young people a place to feel connected, inspired, and empowered, said Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music. With Spotify's support, we can give these vital spaces a lifeline, ensuring that they continue to serve young people for years to come.
Earlier this year, Youth Music's Sound of the Next Generation Report revealed that engaging with music is young people's favorite thing to do and a vital part of their lives. This was in stark contrast, however, with the report's findings that young people are getting less access to music education. Many grassroots youth spaces that provide out-of-school music and creativity are at high risk of closure.
The report revealed that two-thirds of youth music spaces are focused on short-term survival, with a quarter considering closure. The situation for young people is equally dire: 98% have reported increases in mental health issues, 69% are experiencing poverty, and 47% are going hungry. Demand for services is going up while costs, rent, and bills are rising. At the same time, donations and funding are decreasing.
The grassroots music sector is the beating heart of our world-famous music industry, said Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, U.K. It is vital for emerging artists to hone their talents, as well as providing thousands of jobs and spaces for young people to explore their love of music. But for too long, the sector has been under increasing pressure, with many spaces at risk of closure.
This partnership between Youth Music and Spotify is a welcome contribution. Along with our Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, we can collectively continue to do more to secure the future of these vital community assets and protect the talent pipeline.
The partnership is part of Spotify's larger Creator Equity Fund Program and is a continuation of Spotify's commitment to supporting youth well-being and protecting youth spaces, following an earlier partnership with Mentivity, a youth mentoring organization based out of South London.
That partnership saw Spotify provide funding to support the opening of Mentivity House, a new youth hub on the Aylesbury Estate in Peckham, in addition to the creation of The Centre, an award-winning short film that showcased the vital role youth spaces played in the early years of some of the U.K.'s leading music artists, including Youth Music alumni and Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
09/06/2026
FOX Sports and ReachTV, an airport media network, have announced an agreement to...
09/06/2026
Cosm Atlanta, a 70,000-square-foot, three-level immersive entertainment venue located within Centennial Yards adjacent to State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Sta...
09/06/2026
NESN captured five awards at the 2026 Boston/New England Emmy Awards, including four program honors and one individual award.
These awards reflect the passion...
09/06/2026
Ateme has announced that its support for Apple Immersive Video workflows was referenced by Apple during its 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC26).
Atem...
09/06/2026
Bitmovin has announced that Axel Springer SE has deployed Player Web X, Bitmovin's web video player, to power audio readouts of news articles and an audio-o...
09/06/2026
Grass Valley and Lawo have announced a technology collaboration to validate orch...
09/06/2026
LiveU has announced a deployment with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) t...
09/06/2026
Globecast has announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform, powered by ...
09/06/2026
NBC Sports will present live coverage of Overtime's OT7 football league Championship Weekend from Sullivan Field at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angel...
09/06/2026
We're in three different locations, three different production teams. Coveri...
09/06/2026
The intro video for Men's Basketball won Outstanding In-Venue Video in the C...
09/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
09/06/2026
Since their debut, the clock-and-score graphic has drawn the affinity and ire of...
09/06/2026
Last month, Spotify hosted PURE FLOWERS LIVE, a special event celebrating the re...
09/06/2026
Last month, RADAR U.K. artist Skye Newman took the stage in East London for a sp...
09/06/2026
Company to cease operating on 30 June 2026
Australian loudspeaker and amplifier manufacturer Wayne Jones Audio have announced that after much consideration,...
09/06/2026
Increases low-end weight and character
The latest plug-in release from Sheffield-based fedDSP aims to offer an all-in-one solution for users in search of mo...
09/06/2026
Introduces AI Studio Assistant, Moises Studio integration & more
Fender Studio have just announced the launch a significant update that brings an array of n...
09/06/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is a statutory body mandated to spearhead the equitable growth and development of the South African film and video...
09/06/2026
The BBC has found its Hercule Poirot.
After Deadline revealed last month that t...
09/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
A project aimed at modernizing scheduling operations across Mediaset's channel portfolio
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitab...
09/06/2026
tvONE, an ACT Entertainment brand, debuts its most powerful video processor ever built: the 4RU CALICO PRO (C7-PRO-4200), at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N6813). Engine...
09/06/2026
Composer and Conductor Eric Whitacre to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee Va...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Technology collaboration to validate AMPP and Lawo HOME orchestration integration, showcasing Dynamic Media Facility principles in practice.
Grass Valley and ...
09/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced that Axel Springer SE, international media and technology company, has deployed Playe...
09/06/2026
LiveU, the global leader in live IP-video solutions, today announced a landmark deployment with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) that has brought Video ...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Two Alumni Win Tony Awards Mike Morris and Cedric Leiba Jr. won awards for Best Orchestrations and Best Play, respectively.
June 8, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
...
09/06/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Offset360 to Modernize Color Control Across Existing Pre...
09/06/2026
09 Jun 2026
VEON Appoints Serkan Ozturk as Chief of Staff & Strategy Officer Dubai and New York, June 9, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital oper...
09/06/2026
Tuesday 9 June 2026
Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, a candid and unfiltered accou...
09/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First Images And Poster For Wrath, A New Brazi...
09/06/2026
Enni Continues to Rely on Arvato Systems - And Will Be Using AEP.EnerS4 Billing Solution
Arvato Systems to implement transformation project for SAP S/4HANA Ut...