Subsidies for engaging professional artists: Overview

Booking professional musicians can be financially challenging for many leisure-time groups. Making Music offers members specially reduced or subsidised rates to make booking and engaging artists more affordable.

Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists subsidies

The Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists (PDGYA) scheme enables young musicians at the start of their careers to gain vital performance experience across the UK, while Making Music members can engage some of the very best young musical talent at a reduced cost. 

This year the PDGYA scheme will enlist winners from similar schemes and has partnered with Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) and Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF), who champion young musicians through competitions and mentorship. This partnership means more diverse performance and collaborative opportunities for artists as well as Making Music members.  

Please note that if you are eligible for subsidies, you can apply for the PDGYA and Promoters subsidy within the same calendar year. The PDGYA subsidy can be used in conjunction with the Promoters subsidy for the same event, however, if you are claiming both subsidies for the same event then it is not possible for you to use the Promoters subsidy to claim for the artists engagement fee as this would already be covered by the PDGYA subsidy.

*Due to high demand for the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist subsidy we are currently having to operate a waiting list. We are not able to guarantee funds will be available but will be allocating on a first come first served basis as and when they become available. To be added on to the waitlist please complete and submit the request form*

Promoters Subsidy

To help some of Making Music's smaller member promoter groups (who have an annual income of under £14,500) with the cost of putting on a performance, these groups can apply for the Promoters Subsidy.

The subsidy can be used for costs relating to one of the following: booking venues, engaging professional artists, covering artists travel expenses, hiring instruments or producing promotional material.

You can claim one subsidy per calendar year

The subsidy can be used for one performance date, or across multiple performances dates if you are promoting a season or festival

Making Music will pay a subsidy of 50% towards your total expenses, with a maximum of £100 available

Please note that if you are eligible for subsidies you can apply for the Promoters subsidy and the PDGYA subsidy within the same calendar year. The Promoters subsidy can be used in conjunction with the PDGYA subsidy for the same event, however, if you are claiming both subsidies for the same event then it is not possible for you to use the Promoters subsidy to claim for the artists engagement fee as this would be covered by the PDGYA subsidy.

Find out more and apply now

We hope you find this Making Music resource useful. If you have any comments or suggestions about the guidance please contact us. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the content of this guidance is accurate and up to date, Making Music do not warrant, nor accept any liability or responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of the content, or for any loss which may arise from reliance on the information contained in it