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Young Musicians’ Platform

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All Funding for Individuals

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), in collaboration with BBC Northern Ireland (BBC NI), offers awards for young, exceptionally talented solo musicians / singers / singer-songwriters in Classical, Jazz, Contemporary and Traditional Music who are ready to enter the professional world as artists.

The Young Musicians’ Platform Scheme is a biennial scheme offering a maximum of six individual awards of up to £5,000 plus two professional engagements arranged by BBC Northern Ireland for a broadcast chamber music/solo recital and/or concerto performance with the Ulster Orchestra where appropriate.

The financial award associated with this scheme will allow applicants to spend a sizeable amount of time learning from a master musician/teacher/composer etc. abroad.

The BBC will facilitate this scheme by offering two professional broadcast performances to six successful applicants, in the period January 2023 to December 2024.

Who can apply?

  • Individual classical, jazz, traditional and contemporary singer-songwriter musicians who reside in or originate from Northern Ireland;
  • Artists who are at least 18 years old and up to an age limit of 26 for instrumental players, and 29 for singers;
  • Classical, jazz and traditional musicians who have made a meaningful contribution to artistic activities in Northern Ireland;
  • Applicants must have reached a high standard of public performance as indicated within the references and as demonstrated with a solo recording of two (2) contrasting works of no more than eight (8) minutes each

Eligible applicants must also

  • Not be in secondary education

What you cannot apply for

  • Applications for prolonged study at centres of further or higher education. However, applications involving short-term attendance at centres of further education will be considered if the proposed master/artist is accessible only through this route.
  • Materials/equipment.

How to apply?

You must apply using our online system. We will not accept applications in hard copy or by email.

If you feel you have a disability which affects your ability to complete the online application form, please contact the University of Atypical (UoA). The UoA will provide tailored advice and support to D/deaf, disabled and Neurodiverse applicants when submitting application to ACNI Programmes.

  • Online applications may be edited, saved and returned up to the closing date.
  • You must submit all mandatory enclosures associated with the application at the same time as your application, ie. they must be uploaded to your online application prior to its submission. These enclosures are listed on the Attachments page within the online application and are detailed in the Guidance Notes
  • Please ensure that you leave sufficient time to upload all documents to the system as there can be long delays as the closing deadline approaches and the system will shut down at 12 noon precisely on the closing date, Tuesday 15 November 2022. If your complete application is not fully uploaded when the system closes, your application will not be accepted.
  • If you submit your application by the closing deadline, you will receive an automated email advising that your application has been successfully submitted to the system. If you do not receive this email, your application has not been submitted.
  • Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that we receive the application form and uploaded enclosures by the closing time and date.