Is this for me?
Applying for the
Thrive Programme
Our key criteria are financial need and musical commitment, meaning that young musicians can apply without needing to have taken any formal exams. The Thrive programme is designed to support young musicians of intermediate and advanced levels, so we do expect you to have been learning for at least a year.
We support all genres and styles of music equally and applications are reviewed by external adjudicators from a diverse range of musical backgrounds.
We’re unable to support beginner level musicians or young people who are currently part of our Connect programme.
You can apply if
- You're aged 7 - 17
- You can apply any time after your 7th birthday up to the day before your 18th birthday.
- You're living and studying in the UK
- England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands.
- You're an instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, producer, singer/songwriter
- Your family are on a lower income
- You're eligible if the total income of any parents/carers in your home is less than £34,000 a year.
- You may be eligible if it's between £34,000 - £40,000 a year.
- It's unlikely you'll be eligible if it's above £40,000 a year.
Do you make any exceptions?
Do, we have to be very strict about this. We appreciate the great costs involved in supporting a young person on their musical journey, and we acknowledge that middle income families can often struggle to pay for their children’s music costs too. However, our charity was established with the specific focus of supporting musically talented young people from lower income families, and this remains the focus of our work. Other funders of young musicians may have different criteria, so please visit this page on our website for a list (opens in a new tab.)
Why do you need to ask about money?
We're a registered charity and our charitable objective is to help musically talented young people from low-income families to fulfil their potential. Therefore, the Thrive programme is means-tested.
Our financial eligibility criteria are modelled on the lower-level threshold of the Government's Music and Dance scheme.This looks at the annual, gross, family income of the home in which the young person lives (or mainly lives) and takes into account the number of children and dependent relatives living in that household.
How much will I receive?
Awards can be anywhere between £250 and £3,000. The decision is made by a panel of adjudicators: music specialists holding senior positions within music education on a national level.
While we'd love to offer the maximum amount to every applicant, we need to be equitable in our selection process. We can't guarantee the amount offered will be the one you’d hoped for.
Please don't be disheartened if you receive a smaller amount. This won’t impact the other opportunities and resources available to you, and we hope you’ll engage with these. This may include in-person musical events, online webinars, mentoring, performance opportunities, and free ticket offers.
Thrive musicians who are eligible to reapply may receive higher funding in future years, based on need.
Young Sounds UK is the working name for Awards for Young Musicians. Registered charity. No. 1070994