New Northern
Jazz North’s promoter bursary to support live emerging talent.
New Northern supports promoters to programme emerging northern artists by underwriting risk and helping pay essential costs. Designed both to support emerging artists in the north and give an injection of cash to promoters who need it, this easy-access scheme offers a quick intervention to northern grassroots promoters facing difficult financial circumstances.
In response to the current and unique funding challenges being experienced by festivals, Jazz North ringfenced an additional limited budget for this round to award to northern jazz festivals towards their programme.
The next round of New Northern bursaries will be offered in mid-2027
E Jamieson - Footprints Jazz Club, Sheffield
Footprints Jazz Club (main photo) supports up-and-coming jazz bands and artists in Sheffield through regular jams and development activities. The New Northern bursary will be used to platform four of these acts in support slots for larger (touring) jazz artists over the coming months.
https://www.footprintsjazz.co.uk
Jonathan Butters - Parrjazz Limited, Liverpool
The Liverpool International Jazz Festival Fringe, 26-28 February 2027, will provide paid performance opportunities for grassroots, jazz-spectrum artists from the Liverpool City Region. The programme will showcase original music and innovative collaborations, creating opportunities for artists to develop their performance skills, build audiences and connect with other musicians, venues and promoters.
Lesley Faulkner - North West Music Academy, Barrow-in-Furness
The bursary award will support Jazz@NWMA - our planned jazz music programme for 2026-27. Enabling us to platform emerging northern jazz artists alongside established performers and in addition to a programme of jazz workshops for young people in Barrow-in-Furness.
https://northwestmusicacademy.org/about-us/
Debra Milne - Jazz Coop, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Globe, owned and run by Jazz Coop, has become the pre-eminent small venue for jazz in Tyneside, with a weekly Sunday night programme. In spring 2027 this will feature two special gigs, each a ‘Jazz North Double Header’, bringing to Newcastle two great emerging bands from the north of England.
Lubi Jovanovic - DJ Lubi Presents, Leeds
DJ Lubi will present two exciting emerging artist shows; one celebrating the music and life of Xero Slingsby - one of Leeds' cult jazz musicians and punk jazz pioneers of the 1980s - and the second showcasing the growing interest in the Leeds jazz scene for world jazz - Latin jazz, Brazilian jazz, Afro jazz.
website being redesigned
Lucy Woolley - Lancaster Jazz Festival
Lancaster Jazz Festival will use this bursary to expand our Ignite Programme; building on our commitment to platforming emerging artists throughout our work.
Bob Walker - Scarborough Jazz
The New Northern bursary will support Scarborough Jazz Presents Murray Robinson's NPCs - an eleven piece jazz collective dedicated to bringing original, high energy arrangements of video game music to all audiences, whether they are gamers or jazz lovers.
Kieron Ferries - Leeds Jazz Festival
Leeds Jazz Festival will return for its sixth edition in May 2027. With the support of Jazz North’s New Northern Fund, we're excited to welcome back our community stage and provide new opportunities for emerging talent from across the North to play in Leeds.
https://www.leedsjazzfestival.com