Pirate Studios and Small Green Shoots Launch £180K Studios For All Fund

26 September 2024

The Studios For All Fund will support at least 120 charities and organisations in England with £180,000 worth of studio time spread across 3 years.

The Studios For All Fund has pledged to support at least 120 charities, CICs and organisations across the next three years, by providing £180,000 worth of studio time.
This fund is a collaboration between global studio network Pirate Studios and cultural youth organisation Small Green Shoots, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Three young people from disadvantaged areas of England will be onboarded by Small Green Shoots for 12-month secondments and paid training to help manage the initiative.
Throughout the three years, Pirate Studios and Small Green Shoots will host an annual showcase to highlight the talent fostered through the scheme.
To apply for the Studios For All Fund, charities, CICs and organisations must visit Pirate Studio's website and complete the online application form.

Today, global rehearsal studio network Pirate Studios and cultural youth organisation Small Green Shoots officially announce their new three-year community partnership: the Studios For All Fund. Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, this initiative will empower charities, CICs and organisations already working in England to engage disadvantaged, marginalised, and vulnerable individuals through music. Over the next three years, the Studios For All Fund will allocate £180,000 worth of studio time to at least 120 such groups across the country.

"We are overjoyed to be working on the Studio For All programme with Pirate Studios and The National Lottery. Gaining access to affordable studio time and creative space can be a real challenge especially for emerging, independent and diverse talent. This programme really addresses those barriers and provides a solution. As one of the industry's leading black cultural organisations, we are excited to be a partner and have our young Shoots involved too!"

Makeda Mcmillan , Small Green Shoots, Managing Director

The new scheme will build on the success of a pilot partnership launched in 2021, which saw Small Green Shoots and Pirate Studios engage arts groups to provide over 800 young people with 7,500 hours of studio time at Pirate's facilities—Pirate operates over 700 DJ studios, band rehearsal spaces, recording studios, dance studios, and podcast studios worldwide.

"At Pirate, we believe that having access to music studios can make a genuine difference in someone’s life. Through the Studios For All Fund, we’re excited to help charities, CICs, and organisations give disadvantaged individuals the chance to explore music, art, and creativity in our studios. We’re incredibly proud to continue our work with Small Green Shoots and The National Lottery to make this happen."

David Borrie, Pirate Studios, CEO

With projects set to begin on 7th October 2024, the Studios For All Fund will facilitate an inclusive environment where arts charities and organisations can effectively carry out their important work, allowing individuals to explore their talents and express themselves creatively through music, dance, or media, fostering a sense of community and belonging.

Additionally, the fund will create pathways for disadvantaged young people into the music and creative industries. This includes onboarding three trainees from Small Green Shoots for 12-month secondments and paid training to help run the scheme, as well as offering free access to professional music studio spaces in England for over 1,000 people each year.

Furthermore, Pirate Studios and Small Green Shoots will host an annual showcase to highlight the talent being fostered through the scheme.

To apply for the Studios For All Fund, charities and organisations must visit https://pirate.com/en/studios-for-all-fund/ and complete the online application form. The application form encourages applicants to outline how they plan to use the studio hours to benefit their communities, asking for specific details on the initiatives they will run and the positive outcomes they expect to achieve for disadvantaged or marginalised groups.

[Notes to Editors]:

About Small Green Shoots:

Small Green Shoots is a Camden-based, youth-led Arts Council organisation, founded in 2009 by Music Week’s Campaigner of the Year 2023, Natalie Wade. Committed to enhancing career opportunities for underrepresented young adults in the music and creative industries, their achievements over the past 15 years include placing over 200 talented young people in jobs within the sector, including their current managing director, Makeda McMillan, who was one of their first alumni.

Alongside this, Small Green Shoots has secured over £1.7 million of early-stage funding for artists such as Jorja Smith, Mahalia, Hamzaa, Berwyn, The Compozers, Snap Capone, Benny Mails, Frisco, and more, and collaborated with brands such as Dr. Martens, Relentless Energy Drinks, and most recently, record label Atlantic Records.
More information about Small Green Shoots is available at https://www.smallgreenshoots.co.uk/and on Instagram: @smallgreenshoots.

About Pirate Studios:

Born in Bristol and raised in London, Pirate Studios is a network of 24-hour spaces with over 700 studios worldwide and counting. The mission? To make professional studio spaces accessible to everyone. Open 24/7, fully equipped, and affordable—Pirate empowers artists at all levels to create whatever they want, whenever inspiration strikes.

More than just a place to practise, Pirate hosts free events and organises artist opportunities. From Boomtown to Parklife, The Great Escape to We Out Here—hundreds of Pirate artists have performed at festivals across the UK. Thousands more have played at in-studio events and supported other artists doing the same, all through the Pirate Artist Hub.
More information about Pirate Studios is available at https://pirate.com/en and on Instagram: @pirateofficial.