27.11.2024: UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl has welcomed Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s announcement of a multi-million pound boost for Merseyside’s music scene and the creative industries in the region and the West Midlands.
The move followed the announcement that creative technology firms and artists in Merseyside and the West Midlands will get a major financial shot in the arm with a £13.5 million investment in training, research and development to boost jobs and economic growth.
Liverpool City Region’s MusicFutures cluster will benefit from £6.75 million to bring together partners including the city’s two universities, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena. The cluster will provide funding and training for musicians, educators and small businesses to harness new technologies such as AI and Extended Reality (XR) and explore making the live music sector more environmentally sustainable.
CreaTech Frontiers in the West Midlands will also benefit from £6.75 million, with the investment focusing on developing small, micro- and medium-sized businesses specialising in creative tech like video games and immersive reality.
Several regional universities alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) will join forces with industry to boost skills and develop new products, technology and multi-platform content. This will include using VR, 3D-modelling and animation techniques in live events, and adapting video game engines for use in music, theatre and film.
Experimental performance projects curated by the RSC will be showcased at South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas in 2026, while the Birmingham Opera Group and The Rep theatre will stage new works, including co-creations with young people in deprived areas of the West Midlands.
UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said:
“UK Music is delighted to be a Core Partner of MusicFutures. The awarding of £6.75 million is great news for both Liverpool City Region and the music industry.
“There has been much discussion in recent years about the importance of creative clusters, informing policy making in the process. Providing MusicFutures with this funding boost means the music industry will at last have an opportunity to really get to grips with these crucial debates, helping support positive future outcomes for the sector in Liverpool and beyond.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
“Talent is everywhere but opportunity is not. That’s why we are supporting firms, artists and freelancers that are innovating, using new technology and driving growth in creative clusters across the country.
“Liverpool and Merseyside hold a special place in our nation’s music landscape, and this funding will support imagination and experimentation across the city and region, as creators explore how we can make gigs more environmentally friendly.
“Birmingham and the West Midlands have a rich industrial history, and we are putting them at the forefront of a potential new industry developing the amazing technology that will revolutionise visual effects in film, theatre and gaming.”
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