UD, which brings communities together around Black music, recently staged its flagship event, Industry Takeover. The National Youth Music Organisation hosted one-to-one expert sessions, showcases and panel talks at their east London HQ.
Here, UD CEO Pamela McCormick outlines the consensus that emerged from the event, including a greater focus and investment on talent development and routes to market…
The UK is a music powerhouse that carries positive cultural and economic influence on our society. Now more than ever, given the economic environment and the knock-on impact to the grassroots and music education sector, it is essential that we continue to make the case for investment in artistic and executive talent, the future of this valuable industry.
Last month at our east London Talent House HQ, we hosted 20 events, engaging both the industry and community in thought leadership, panel discussion and debate. The overriding consensus from Industry Takeover 2024 has been the need for a greater focus and investment on development and routes to market.
Recently we have seen hundreds of emerging and developing artists and bands take to the stage at The Great Escape; enjoyed seeing our own artists perform for royalty; and watched the UD Flames Collective (pictured) receive huge praise – and paid employment – for their sensational performances with multi-BRIT and Ivor Novello award-winning Raye at The BRIT Awards, on ITV’s Jonathan Ross Show and at Raye’s stunning Live at the Royal Albert Hall performance and headline gig at The O2 Arena.
It has been a rollercoaster of a ride for Flames. What started out at UD as a flagship programme to provide opportunities to young people from London’s inner city secondary schools has evolved into a game-changer for 50 young vocalists who will soon take centre stage at their first headline show – A Gospel Christmas – at the Barbican on December 7. In the coming months, we will launch a backing vocals agency to provide ongoing financial opportunity and provide some with individual artist development as part of our Incubator programme.
UD’s mission is to cultivate talent – not just the artistic brilliance of groups like Flames, but the industry’s next generation of executives as well, nurturing the UK’s creative pipeline from the grassroots up. This vision was on full display at Industry Takeover, where UD were joined by like-minded partners including BBC Music, PRS For Music, V&A East and No Signal/ High Roller, and welcomed hundreds of young Black creatives to our conference and showcases. More than 3,000 young people have taken part since we launched the flagship event in 2011, including the likes of Little Simz, Ghetts and Paigey Cakey and industry stalwarts Parris Oh (TikTok), Wale Kalejaiye (Sheridans) and Charlie Ogbechie (SoundCloud).
This year, we delivered our most ambitious programme yet, co-curated with our community to ensure they heard from voices that both inspire and listen to them. Two-time Mercury nominee Berwyn shared his personal journey from Trinidad to Romford in a captivating interview with the incredible Jacqueline Springer from our neighbours at V&A East; while one of the UK’s most prolific producers, Swindle, joined award-winning Black British author, Candice Carty-Williams, for an In Conversation on their collaboration for the soundtracks to Queenie (Channel 4) and Champion (BBC One). By bringing these exceptional creatives together, we are offering young people unparalleled opportunities to learn, connect and grow.
On the Friday, industry executives gathered, hosted by Power Up!, to explore and evaluate the progress – or lack thereof – on race accountability in the music industry since the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest. The upshot? Progress is being made – slowly - but the journey toward genuine change is far from complete and we need to continue to harness our collective power to keep momentum.
It’s no longer enough to assume that talent will simply rise to the top on its own
Pamela McCormick
So, what does this mean for our future talent pipeline – both artistic and executive – which is alive and kicking? We are only too aware of the competition this new generation faces in developing a sustainable career in music. The industry has never been more challenging, competitive and complex. So, can we, as an industry, do more to support and strengthen pathways for future talent? This is a question we have been grappling with at UD for almost 25 years, whilst developing and launching a number of programmes for young, primarily Black, creative talent in the east London area.
We address this challenge by taking a progressive approach to talent development, guiding young people through a defined journey from early education to adulthood in both artistic and professional development.
Our curated team of vocalists, producers and industry professionals runs school outreach and access programmes to develop participants' musical, professional, social, and communications skills. Our flagship entry-level programme for students in years 9 to 11 includes a record label project, for aspiring artists, songwriters, and producers, with the opportunity to audition for the Flames Collective. Students and young people can also attend our Industry Takeover events and, for those who wish to pursue further education, our Level 4 courses, validated by the University of East London, equip future leaders with skills in music performance, production, and technology. We also offer Incubator and Accelerator programmes for professional development, supporting rising artists like Richard Carter, Saiming and Nayana AB.
All of this practical, structured music education takes place at the Talent House, our £4.1 million state-of-the-art facility at East Bank in Stratford, which opened in July 2022, in partnership with East London Dance. It is a home for young creatives, where collaborations and connections are fostered. Anchored in east London, our ambitions stretch nationwide. With the National Youth Music Organisation (NYMO) status awarded to us by Arts Council England as well as our 25 years of lived experience, we aim to expand our work across the UK to reach more young people at grassroots level and provide greater equity of opportunity.
It’s no longer enough to assume that talent will simply rise to the top on its own. We need to take a more strategic and joined-up approach, rather than rely on the ability of young people to hustle their way into this industry. Collaboration is vital and this necessitates increased investment in infrastructure, resources and a shared commitment to providing all young talent with the opportunities they deserve. Together, we can amplify the voices of those who may not have the platform to do so themselves.
PHOTOS: Luke Dyson/Chris Lopez
