We’re pleased to announce a new partnership with the Jacob Billington Trust to sponsor two young music creators from the Sefton area of Liverpool to attend our 12-month young artist development programme, In the Making.
The Jacob Billington Trust was founded in 2022 in memory of Jacob – a passionate and talented young musician. The Trust raises funds to assist in funding for music education opportunities for dozens of young people in Sefton each year, where Jacob lived.
“Money is tight for so many families and tough choices have to be made. We are extremely proud to support so many talented local musicians but there is a limit, and sadly a reduction, in the progression pathways for them in the area.
We want our young people to dream big and reach their potential and so we are thrilled to be able to sponsor two of them to develop further on a national programme like Sound and Music’s In the Making. They’ll be an inspiration for the rest of our young music community in Sefton.”
— Adam Collins, Trustee at Jacob Billington Trust
The Trust is committed to providing opportunities to all creative children and young adults no matter their background, which speaks to our commitment to accessibility and equity across all our programmes.
This new partnership is part of the solution to a crisis in high-quality music education and young talent development opportunities across much of the UK after long-term neglect and under-investment.
“We are thrilled to partner with Jacob Billington Trust to welcome two of their young music creators on to the programme. Alliances like this offer a blueprint for how impactful local initiatives like Jacob Billington Trust can connect with and provide a talent pipeline up to a world class national programmes such as In the Making.”
— Dr Will Dutta, Chief Executive at Sound and Music
In the Making launched last year as the UK’s only 12-month artist development programme for young people aged 14–18 from across the UK, built on our 16-year record of delivering summer schools to thousands of young music creators.
The programme brings together 50 young music creators from across the UK for a week-long residential where they will create, record and perform original new music and access a wealth of workshops, learning sessions and career development. They are guided by industry professionals throughout the week and during their subsequent 12-month journey, transforming their composing and performing skills, confidence, experience and creative ambition.
About Jacob Billington Trust
Jacob Billington Trust is a Liverpool-based charity, formed of seven young trustees, in honour of their friend and brother, Jacob Billington, who they lost in 2020.
The charity’s mission is to support young people in Sefton and the surrounding areas to pursue creative arts opportunities by making them more accessible, continuing Jacob’s legacy and passion for the creative arts.
The Jacob Billington Trust exists to ensure that every young person in the area with a passion for the creative arts is supported and given the best possible opportunities to flourish.
About us
Our mission is to be the base camp for anyone in the UK who wants to make, experience or support new music and sound to shape the modern world.
We deliver artist-centred development programmes and essential funding to young, emerging and established artists breaking new ground across music-making in the UK. We lead research, campaigns, networks, archives and collections to further originality, discovery and equity within music. For over 15 years, we have worked with thousands of music creators and hundreds of organisations to boost musical creativity, careers, cultures and communities.
Reducing barriers and championing inclusion underpins everything we do driven by our sector leading Fair Access Principles.
Sound and Music is supported by Arts Council England and proud to be a National Youth Music Organisation.
Learn more about Jacob Billington Trust
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