Skip to main content

Launching TL Ignite

Mon 29 March 2021

Funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund TL Ignite will provide 24 one-off grants of £750, along with bespoke professional support, to South East London creatives who are in the first five years of their careers.

Newly graduated and early-career artists are entering an increasingly challenging arts landscape due to Covid-19. Creative professionals have had to adapt their practice and find new ways to connect with audiences, build their networks and monetise their work. TL Ignite is specifically designed to help emerging artists develop their expertise to navigate this changed environment and establish sustainable careers.

TL Ignite is open to dance, music and musical theatre artists over the age of 18 living in Bexley, Bromley and Southwark, as well as Trinity Laban’s home boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham.

The scheme aims to reduce the financial barriers for artists entering the industry, nurture creative innovation and life-long learning, and empower early-career creatives to identify and realise development opportunities.

The one-off grants are available in three distinct areas:

  • Continued Professional Development – including training session and attending industry conferences.
  • Project Realisation – funding services, such as website development or studio hire, that will enable the delivery of a project.
  • Digital Ready – investing in equipment or software that will support online work and digital creation.

Applicants are asked to demonstrate the impact of the award on their work and also the wider social and economic benefit of their work. We welcome applications from those who are currently underrepresented in the dance, music and musical theatre industries.

Through a curated programme of knowledge exchange Trinity Laban will strengthen its ties with a network of local artists, building a community of support. It will also enable conversations about artistic practice and the role of the arts in post-pandemic recovery, both socially and economically.

The scheme grows Trinity Laban’s reputation for supporting entrepreneurship, building on the Trinity Laban Innovation Award and Go DigiTL initiatives.

Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne comments –

“It is a particularly challenging time to establish a career in the performing arts, which is why we’re so proud to be launching TL Ignite. A direct response to the needs of our local artistic community, and need to future-proof the sector, the award will help to enhance the skills, resilience and adaptability of early-career artists through the sharing of knowledge. We’re also excited that it will facilitate a supportive community of artists who will contribute to the post-pandemic arts ecology.”

Applications closed on Thurs 29 April.

Successful applicants will be notified by Fri 28 May.

Awardees will represent the social economic diversity of the boroughs and will be selected on:

  • the impact of the award on their creative practice
  • the wider social and economic impact of their work
  • their commitment to connect with other local artists

Any enquiries should be sent to Ignite@trinitylaban.ac.uk