Umbro Industries scheme continues on into fourth quarter
Umbro Industries, the scheme that seeks to reward the young Manchester creative community with a bursary of up to £10,000, is continuing throughout July and into the forthcoming football season.
As a key part of Manchester’s industrious past - and its future - Umbro set up the scheme to develop and support the growth of creative energy in the Manchester area, and provide the financial clout necessary for it to bloom.
There have been six winners of the scheme so far:
Young music promoters Same Teens won a bursary of £5,000 towards plans to build a monthly music/fashion magazine aimed at teenagers and help them build on their teenage music nights.
Manchester based musicians Mind on Fire, whose idea for a record label that launches singles by established acts alongside B-sides from up and coming Manchester artists achieved a £5,000 bursary.
Respected street artists Upper Space Gallery, succeeded at the second time of asking having reached the final stage in the first quarter as well. Their idea to open a self-financed and self-built cultural space in the city won a £7,200 grant.
Hard hitting theatre company Fink On achieved a grant of £3,500 to help them produce an original piece of theatre, Crying In The Chapel, which tells an inside account of the Strangeways prison riots of 1990. The piece aimed to encourage young and repeat offenders to engage in the arts, with the hope of helping them discover new possibilities in the future.
The New Mancunian won a grant to help with their project creating a weekly online music magazine showcasing the best Mancunian music. Designed to give local music fans a hub to find all of their favourite Manchester based artists, the site received £2,500 to get the idea off the ground.
Rock Steady Tea Party won a £7,500 bursary to support their celebration of the legacy of reggae, dancehall and rocksteady music in and around Manchester. The money helped them create a short film on the subject which will be shown at a tea party event bringing generations of music fans together.
The bursary for the next £10,000 is already open for applications and will run until the end of July. There is no cap on the amount of the £10,000 you can apply for and you can apply again if your previous entry has failed, you just have to live or work in Greater Manchester and show a real passion for your plans. Further bursaries will then be help throughout the forthcoming 2010/2011 football season.
Entrants will need to visit www.umbroindustries.com to submit a detailed entry, which will then be given a rating from visitors to the site.
The best ideas will then be voted on by the six-strong panel of Manchester based creators, thinkers and innovators that have all exceeded in their chosen field. These include:
Mike Pickering – former Hacienda DJ, head of the soon-to-be re-launched deConstruction record label and all-round Manchester music institution
Kevin Cummins – celebrated photographer noted for his iconic portraits, including David Bowie and The Smiths
Dave Rofe – former disc-spinner at the Hacienda and now manager of Doves and Cherry Ghost; not to mention chairperson of the Manchester District Music Archive
Mark Farrow – graphic designer and creator of some of the most iconic record sleeves of our time. Most notable for his unique, idiosyncratic work for Pet Shop Boys and Spiritualized
Dave Pullan – Brand and Marketing Officer for Manchester City and member of the club's 'executive leadership team’
Trevor Cairns – Chief Marketing Officer for Umbro who recently lead the Live From City launch for Manchester City's new tailored kit
The panel will be joined each quarter by a special guest and will choose a shortlist of those entries, which it feels are the most compelling, transformational and worthy to present their case. The shortlist will be invited to present, with the winners receiving the cash.
For more information check out http://www.umbroindustries.com. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter here.
