Spotify x Youth Music Open Doors Fund

For over a decade, grassroots music spaces have been under threat, hit hard by funding cuts and shifting priorities. The Open Doors Fund by Spotify x Youth Music aims to turn the tide and help keep these vital spaces open.

It will back transformative projects like a band for disabled young people, a youth-led studio in a remote coastal town, and music programmes for minoritised women and people of marginalised genders.

Organisations Supported by the Open Doors Fund

Access Community Trust

Access Community Trust champions homelessness support across East Anglia, alongside providing a range of mental health and wellbeing assistance that helps vulnerable individuals of all ages, families, and, wider communities that find themselves socially isolated: https://accessct.org

Young person with a mic and a quote that says "Arts Exchange has helped me express my emotions"

Arts Educational Scheme

Arts Education Exchange (AEE) is a charity based in Margate, South East Kent, providing creative education for young people aged 8-25. They offer high-quality music and visual arts programmes as a vital alternative to mainstream education, working with marginalised young people who face significant adverse life circumstances and barriers to participation in education, arts and culture.

Aspire4U CIC

Aspire4U CIC is a not for profit community engagement organisation that uses the arts to develop mindsets towards well being, financial literacy and employability.

Their mission is to support communities to create better futures by using evidence of things that work and bringing it back to the community. We use events and experiences to amplify this message.

a full band with 14 members with different types of disabilities

Billy and Andy's Music School

Billy & Andy’s Music School provides accessible music sessions and services for disabled and neurodivergent young people in Greater Manchester. Our programs range from helping disabled young people to form bands, organising open jam sessions using accessible music technology, and offering living room gigs to those in residential care.

eight young people in a stage with red light and a banner behind

Creative Optimistic Visions

Creative Optimistic Visions is a small grass roots organisation, founded in 2014 in Coventry City, that has built a respectful reputation with existing partners, but most importantly with our beneficiaries and families. An award-winning Community Interest Company that provides alternative education, training, consultancy, mentoring, youth and community services.

Five young people playing using music with instruments and clapping

DaDaFest

DaDa is an award winning and pioneering disability arts organisation based in Liverpool with international reach and impact. Founded in 1984, we were one of the first disability-led arts organisations in the UK.

We are known widely for DaDaFest, our biennial cross-arts festival which has supported many renowned disabled artists from the UK and beyond since 2001.

DJ & MC Academy

DJ & MC Academy CIC is a youth organisation in North London set up in January 2008, using music and media to support personal development, skill-building, and social change to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We deliver free-to-access programmes in schools, colleges, youth hubs and outdoor spaces.

GIRL GRIND UK

GIRL GRIND UK CIC works in Birmingham to support girls and gender-expanding youth with diverse heritage between the ages of 12 to 30 through our GROWNISH (12-17) and WOMANISH (18-30) development arms.

Hastings Fat Tuesday

Hastings Fat Tuesday CIC is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers a year-round programme of activity to support the communities of Hastings and St. Leonards. Including the flagship Fat Tuesday Music Festival, along with a range of live music events, community sessions and workshops.

A young g person playing drums in a stage with two other people behind playing other instruments

Helix Arts

Helix Arts specialises in creative work that explores the role and potential of the arts in a social context, empowering people to be heard through cross-artform approaches. Our Mission is to increase equality of opportunity for people to participate in the arts.

Five girls laughing together while sitting in stairs

Jamming Station

Jamming Station (Totnes, Devon) empowers marginalised young people through music. Our projects foster creativity, belonging, and emotional well-being, building skills and confidence while amplifying youth voices.

Seven young people playing different instruments in a band

Music at the Heart of Teesdale

Music at the Heart of Teesdale (M@HoT) specialises in providing access to high-quality folk music and dance activities for young people and communities across SW Durham and the wider Northeast.

Rap Therapy

Rap Therapy is a community interest company that helps young people learn how to positively express themselves through rap. Our mission is to teach young people about expression and help prevent social tragedies through this therapeutic artform.

Two young people playing trumpet. One is making the OK hand gesture to the camera.

Tomorrow’s Warriors

A Black-founded and Black-led organisation, Tomorrow’s Warriors’ free to access, programme of learning and training champions and supports young Black and female musicians, and those from challenging circumstances that would be a barrier to accessing opportunities to pursue a music career.

A big group ion young people in a dark street illuminated by the camera flash

Ruff Sqwad Arts Foundation

Ruff Sqwad Arts Foundation combines high quality arts and youth work to support young people fulfill their full potential in creative careers and life. They're based in Stratford, London.

COPY ABOUT THE CHARITY

Here we’ll include a blurb explaining the story of the organisation whose video is below.

"This partnership between Youth Music and Spotify is a welcome contribution. Along with our Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, we can collectively continue to do more to secure the future of these vital community assets and protect the talent pipeline."

Lisa Nandy

Lisa Nandy, UK Culture Secretary

Help us go further

It takes all of us. With your help, we can protect more vital youth music spaces for children and young people.

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