WOMEX World Music Expo 2022 - bursaries now available to attend

WOMEX World Music Expo, one of the most important international professional market for world music of every kind including folk, roots, ethnic and traditional music. The four-day event attracts in excess of 2,000 delegates from over 90 countries, including hundreds of concert and festival bookers, labels, publishers, distributors, managers and the world's media.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland will offer a maximum of three bursary awards for WOMEX World Music Expo 2022. The award of £650 per delegate is to be used towards the costs of return flights, registration and a contribution towards accommodation and subsistence. Those eligible to apply for the delegate bursaries includes musicians, managers and agents working in Northern Ireland. In particular, bursaries are aimed at those artists and promoters who have a track record of touring internationally, have excellent promotional material available (CD’s, website etc) and who would benefit from attending the event to promote their work at this important music industry marketplace.

This will be the eighth occasion of the Arts Council’s support for attendance at WOMEX World Music Expo which has fast become the most important international professional market for world music.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to make three bursaries available to artists from Northern Ireland to attend WOMEX World Music Expo in Lisbon this October. Attendance offers artists the vital opportunity to network and showcase their work to music industry professionals and promoters from across the world, often leading to touring opportunities for artists. I would encourage those interested to apply soon.”

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland will host a combined stand located within the Horizons section of WOMEX World Music Expo. Horizons is an initiative which aims to collectively promote the music of nations of the UK & Ireland at WOMEX. The Horizons partners include, Arts Council England, British Underground, Arts Council of Ireland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Culture Ireland, Creative Scotland, Scottish Music Industry Association, Arts Council of Wales, Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales and Wales Arts International, UK Trade & Investment. Selected delegates will participate in the national stand to promote their work to international arts industry presenters and promoters.

Online applications open from Friday 1 July and will close at 12noon Thursday 28 July 2022. To view the guidance notes and make an application visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/womex-2022-bursaries