In December 2021, the British Council launched their maiden music industry project, Creative Enterprise Support Program (CESP) delivered by Culture Forward, Impact Hub Accra and the University of The Arts London.
The creative industries in Ghana are rapidly growing and increasingly recognised as a pathway for sustainable livelihoods for young people across art forms such as music, fashion, film etc. However, challenges abound for young people trying to break into the industry.
In direct response to these challenges, the Programme was designed with the aim of stimulating links between the UK and Ghanaian Music creative economy by delivering training, mentoring, networking, and business development services for young, emerging music professionals in Ghana in partnership with their peers in the UK.
Following an open call for all interested applicants an original cohort of candidates joined the program to undergo an intense 2-week learning bootcamp with sessions led by key industry players from around the world. Notable facilitators and guest speakers during the bootcamp include London-based producer, Juls, Benewaah Boateng of Spotify, Liza Ntiamoah of Boomplay, Sadiq Abdulai of 3Music, Musician/Songwriter Mensa and celebrated poet nayirah waheed.
Participants received extensive training and industry insight to help shape their career in music and adjacent industries. 30 candidates then proceeded to the next stage to receive rigorous mentoring from 6 industry experts. Eventually, 10 creatives made it to the final stage where they will be receiving grants to support their career and chosen projects.
The maiden cohort of the CESP, dubbed NextGen ‘22 are Edwin Quartey, Brakutz, Sosawavegod, Toyboi, Atswei Franalo, Essilfie, Daddo Gyan, Elodie Dee, Yung Tuff and Akan. The chosen creatives will be presented at an industry event at the British Council this Friday, 22nd April 2022.
This CESP music industry project is targeted at music entrepreneurs including performing artists, songwriters, producers, DJs, sound engineers, music video producers, marketers, promoters, managers, agents, A&R, tech and those in other music-related businesses.
About British Council | https://www.britishcouncil.org
We build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.
We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities.
Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK. We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2020–21 we connected with 67 million people directly and with 745 million people overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications. We are funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government and with significant additional income from partnership agreements, contracts, teaching and exams. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.
About Culture Forward | http://cultureforwardafrica.co
Culture Forward is building the new “template’ for finding and funding the creators of the future of African pop culture. We want to create a new way to bring together unlikely collaborators and the best in class across the creative spectrum for culture-shifting outcomes.
Our vision is to make the next big bets on the future of African pop culture & build new capital structures around creative enterprise. With our work, we aim to:
- Create original pathways for providing capital and structure for creatives.
- Scale the transformative potential of the creative economy for both impact and profit.
- Create a viable and sizable portfolio of bold original African creatives with global appeal.
About Impact Hub Accra | https://accra.impacthub.net
Impact Hub Accra (IHA) is part of the global Impact Hub Network with a presence in 85 cities, across 5 regions and 15,000+ members. IHA is a collaborative organization providing growth support services to innovative startup businesses, including; direct investment, accelerator programs for entrepreneurs, opportunity to design and prototype, and more. The hub with all its spaces in the Ako Adjei area, is an active nexus where different local and global ecosystem players converge and engage Ghana’s vibrant community of entrepreneurs. Impact Hub Accra’s work is structured around 4 key themes:
Venture Support: Supporting the growth journey of early stage founders from idea to market. Connecting them to capital and global growth resources. We sign small checks here up to $20k.
Venture Building: Co-create and invest in new businesses with insightful sector experts in 6 key market segments: Urban Food Systems, Housing & Urban Lifestyle, Green.
Economy & E-mobility, Health and Wellbeing, Creative Economy and Gig Economy/Mass Market Distribution.
Space-as-a-Service/ Soft-Landing: Support market entry of global Startups from mostly Europe, US and Africa in the Ghanaian market, onboarded their teams to our community with custom-designed spaces and support with key industry relationships for takeoff. We also host a string of global events in Accra to spotlight our ecosystem.
Capital Access: Supporting a pool of global investors to find deals in Africa. Level the playing field for first time founders trying to raise a pre-seed round through initiatives like Deep Dive Africa.
About University of Arts, London | https://www.arts.ac.uk
University of the Arts London offers an extensive range of courses in art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts. Our graduates go on to work in and shape the creative industries worldwide. UAL is ranked second in the world for Art and Design in the 2022 QS World University Rankings®.
The University has a world-class reputation and is made up of 6 equally renowned Colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts.
UAL is home to a diverse body of 18,000 students from 130 countries. We are proud of our international student and staff community, and we are committed to ensuring that the University offers an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone. Learn more about student diversity and staff diversity at UAL. UAL’s inspiring teaching faculty is made up of professional artists, practitioners, designers, technicians, critics and theorists, all on hand to deliver cutting-edge programmes and courses.
