Help Musicians and LIVE Trust launch Fast Track Live to turn performance opportunities into career momentum for grassroots talent
First round of applications now open
- New programme will provide grants of £500 – £1,000 alongside specialist live music career support
- Funding from LIVE Trust will help emerging and developing musicians access career-building live opportunities
- First round of applications opens today
Help Musicians has today launched Fast Track Live, ‘a targeted programme which combines financial support and specialist career advice to help musicians make the most of the live opportunity to build a sustainable career.
Made possible through LIVE Trust Phase 2 funding, Fast Track Live will provide grants of £500 – £1,000, alongside a two-hour Career Clinic with a live music specialist. The programme is designed not only to help musicians pursue opportunities including touring, showcasing, festival appearances, venue opportunities, audience development and other significant live activity but also to ensure musicians use key live opportunities to positively move forward their careers.
Live performance is often pivotal to a musician’s career, helping artists build audiences, develop experience, make industry connections and create opportunities for future bookings. However, these opportunities often require significant upfront investment in areas such as travel, accommodation, equipment, production, marketing and rehearsal costs. The result is that musicians are forced to turn down opportunities that could otherwise help them reach new audiences and build career sustainability.
The Musicians’ Census, conducted by Help Musicians and the Musicians’ Union, shows 80% of musicians reported at least one or more career-restricting barrier, demonstrating the challenging nature of building a sustainable career in music. When the risk of taking part is too steep, opportunity can end up inaccessible to some. The impact of this affects not only musicians, but also grassroots talent development, and as a result can reduce representation in live music, preventing it from representing the true, rich diversity of talent and music lovers we have across the UK.
“Behind every artist is a pivotal opportunity — but that moment is rarely the whole story. The truth is that sustainable careers are built over years of incremental growth: finding your scene, developing your sound, and building an audience, town by town and city by city. That’s why our support is tailored to where each musician is in their journey, because the next step to progress a career and the opportunity gained from it, looks different for every artist. By pairing financial investment with specialist career development advice and support, we’re hoping to enable musicians to leverage the live performance opportunity available by reducing some element of financial risk and creating new insight and connections. We’re grateful to LIVE Trust and to every artist who has helped to provide funds to the Trust for making this support possible — helping us invest directly in the musicians of future years.”
Through the programme, successful applicants will receive financial support alongside expert advice and guidance to help them plan effectively and make the most of the opportunity in terms of long-term career development and sustainability.
The partnership between Help Musicians and LIVE Trust demonstrates how investment from across the live music sector can directly support the development of the artists who will shape its future. By helping musicians grow performance experience, new audiences and connections and drive career momentum, Fast Track Live aims to contribute to a stronger and more sustainable grassroots live music ecosystem.
“LIVE Trust was established to protect, expand, and support the grassroots live music ecosystem across the UK. We’re already demonstrating that money raised by the industry can be distributed quickly and effectively in support of programmes across grassroots live music. We’re delighted to be working with Help Musician’s as part of our Phase 2 funding round, delivering targeted support for early career artists enabling them to build long term careers. Like our other partner programmes, working with Help Musicians shows the value of placing money with industry experts who understand the nuances of their sector.”
Fast Track Live will be delivered through two funding rounds:
- Round 1: Applications open 7 September and close 9 October 2026
- Round 2: Applications open 19 October and close 20 November 2026