Meet the NextGen

Alix is a 'nu-folk' and experimental singer-songwriter based near Glasgow, whose music focuses around gender violence, sexuality, and mental health. She heads her band 'Alix Apples & The Core', which came together to support her on her Masters in Music, where she was awarded the Paolo Nutini Songwriting Scholarship and a Distinction. Alongside her own work, Alix creates visual content (music videos, photography, graphic design) for other up-and-coming acts in Scotland, and has hosted numerous festivals including the main stage at Youth Beatz - the UK's largest free youth music festival.

A multi-disciplined creative content producer skilled in photography and videography with a first-class degree in Events Management and intensive industry experience. Amos is inspired by seeking new knowledge, experiencing new challenges and fostering lasting relationships. Amos has previously worked on projects for; Google, Netflix, Instagram, Playstation, YouTube, ASOS, Napapjiri, Selfridges, Liam Hodges, George The Poet X BBC Sounds to name a few.

Amy is a performer, artist and director studying Drama at the University of Exeter. She is Deputy Station Manager and a presenter at the student radio station XpressionFM, whilst also freelancing in radio, theatre and film production and more broadly in the creative industries. She recently hosted the 2019 Youth Music Awards.

Becca is a singer-songwriter and community musician based in Newcastle. She released her debut single, Control, a pop and neo-soul track through an intern-run label, Crumpet Records, in May 2019 and she hopes to release one single this year with Tipping Point Records 2020. Becca is also a creative freelancer with various roles such as a choir leader and arts assistant.

Camilla is a music journalist and editor, currently in the third year of her BA English with Study Abroad degree at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has worked with the likes of Warner Music, Come Play With Me and Underground England, amongst others. Last year, she founded her online magazine, ‘Atomic Vox’ to support all females in the music industry. In September, she was made Music Editor of her University Magazine, ‘aAh! Magazine’, after writing for them for the past two years. Some of her favourite experiences so far, have been interviewing artists such as Beabadoobee, Pale Waves, DMA'S, and The Snuts. Most recently, she worked with Youth Music as a Freelance Advisor on the second round of their Incubator Fund scheme.

Charlotte is a First Class Music Business (BA Hons) graduate, with a passion for Music Marketing and Promotions. Now studying towards an MA in Communications, PR and Media, she has clear ambitions for the future, wanting to develop new innovative campaign ideas for the UK’s next generation of music artists. She has spent the last 3 years building up her skills and portfolio, which ranges from album promotion, promoting and executing student music events, creating social media content for clients, to developing an online streaming event for locally renowned Wychwood Festival in response to COVID-19.

Clara is a freelance event producer and venue manager. Through starting up her brand Tunnel Vision at the age of 17, she has single-handedly grown it into a business that now manages club nights throughout Bristol and Birmingham, a record label and a merchandise line. Clara also specialises in photography and graphic design.

Curt is a freelance videographer and photographer while studying Digital Media at the University of Gloucestershire. He’s an adventure enthusiast and enjoys liaising with musicians. He wasn’t always sure on what his passion was until he went to a college open day and discovered his love for Digital Media. Curt’s most proud of when he traveled to New York City to be a summer camps videographer.

Dan is a freelance presenter and producer, having started off in student radio at Exeter University. He loves working on live music events, DJing and producing podcasts. He's also very proud to be the first ever co-host of the Youth Music Awards at Battersea Arts Centre.

Ellie is a freelance writer studying History and International Relations at King’s College London. She is the Essays Editor for Strand Magazine, aspiring to be a journalist and presenter after graduation. Alongside this, Ellie is a DJ and dancer.

Eva is a label assistant at Come Play With Me studying Music Industries Management at Leeds Beckett University. At the age of 16 she set up event promoter, GRRLS DO THAT TOO, which has recently rebranded and is branching out into podcasts and tour management. One of her passions is supporting young grrls who want freedom to explore the music industries. Playing and performing music from a young age has given Eva insight into the treatment of underrepresented people throughout the industry.

Over the past two years Grace has taken a close interest in the vibrant youth music and fashion scene in London. For example, she was able to contribute to a 2018 Converse Campaign that featured across social media pages and on television adverts, giving insight on this generation’s boldest young creators, as well as offering feedback on their campaign social media page.

Kate is a freelance producer and presenter, having previously worked for Nickelodeon, Sky and ITV. She was nominated for Best Presenter by Fiona Bruce at the National Student Television Awards. Since graduating, she has taken her passion for music to California and Italy to teach children and is currently trying her hand at DJing. Recently, she launched a comedy podcast series, “Navigating Your Twenties” and works on the promo team for Hits Radio. She was thrilled to be a vox-pop presenter for the first ever Youth Music Awards in 2019. 

Laura is a music graduate from the University of South Wales, living in Cardiff. She is a songwriter, freelance advisor, and award winning advocate for mental health. She was part of the team behind the very successful Immersed! Festival 2020 held at the Tramshed in Cardiff. Laura has often spoken on/for a range of platforms including ITV Wales, BBC Radio 4, BBC 5 Live, Heart and Capital Radio, Western Mail, and the Victoria Derbyshire Show. Despite many health disabilities, Laura's aim is to develop and change the music industry in becoming more inclusive and also aims to unveil her new website and songs in the not so long distant future. Music for Laura isn't just an art, but a useful wellbeing tool that can engage closer with the audience.

Lily is a musician, freelance writer and multimedia creative based in Leeds. Having gigged since the age of fourteen, Lily has worked across the music industry - from performing at Le blues Autor Du Zinc and supporting Yellow Days in 2018 to recording with Ken Scott and joining Shell Zenner on a panel for the Leeds Womxn in music event in early 2020. Since graduating from Leeds Conservatoire in 2019, Lily has seen national praise for her band, ‘English Teacher’s surreal, lyric-heavy strand of alternative, and has written articles for Northern Life, Come Play With Me Magazine and Youth Music.

Manoel is a young freelancer who fell in love with music and being creative at the young age of 8, has gone on to set up a freelance Videography, Photography and Graphic design company called Blouhaus. And gone on to win competitions and awards for his creative works. Alongside that he also writes, produces and releases his own music, and runs a YouTube channel.

Hailing from South London, Marz Fay is a musician, lyricist and artist with a dreamy lo-fi sound. Her skills also extend to videography, radio presenting and producing. Keep an eye out for her as her forthcoming EP ‘INK’ is awaiting. 

Milli-Rose Rubin is currently a Music student at Goldsmiths University London and also works at Youth Music as Admin Intern in the G&L tean. During lockdown, one of the few things that has kept her stimulated and creatively engaged is music. Music has always been a form of therapy for her, and she continues to use creative forms as an expression of her mental health at different chapters of her life. Having lived in Tanzania and Amsterdam in her childhood, she’s overcome language barriers and many more obstacles through music. Moving forward, Milli-Rose aims to always use music as a form therapy and run her own music therapy workshops in the near future

London-based singer-songwriter, Naima Adams, delivers soaring vocals that bristle with energy and honesty, that groove with the best funk and have deep soul roots.From an Italian-American background, she has been honing her craft as a musician and writer since a young age. She moved to London in 2015 to pursue music and, thus far, her career has seen her share the stage with musicians from India, Brazil, Colombia, the Faroe Islands, and perform alongside the likes of Sampa The Great, Comet Is Coming, Nubya Garcia, and Celeste. Additionally, 2019 saw her perform at a number of festivals including Maiden Voyage, We Out Here Festival, Love Supreme and Glastonbury's Park Stage, and appear on radio & TV programmes such as Jools Holland, The Annie Mac Show, Worldwide FM Awards, accompanying Sampa The Great. She is currently working on her first release.

"I’m Sabad, 25 from London. I’ve always been a creative person. I love the chance to show people that there’s so much more to do with the creative in your head - that you also can create beautiful pieces, whether that's through social media, photography or blogging. Creativity is a great outlet that should be embraced and that’s what I plan to do through the entertainment industry."

Stacey Olika is a graphic designer, creative producer and curator. Her work explores how identity and culture navigated its way in today’s society through a range of mediums.

She has co-curated Why Are We Not Here for Testspace at Spike Open Studios; addressing issues regarding the lack of representation in arts institutions. Stacey is a featured artist at Rising Arts Agency. She is the founder of Agents of Change; a programme to shine light on underrepresent and emerging creatives. 

Tiffany started her journey as singer-songwriter on a Youth Music funded project in summer 2019. After just 1 year she has released 2 collaborative albums, featured in a BBC documentary, developed a film score for the British Film Institute, performed at Rock City Nottingham and won a Young Creative Award - all whilst graduating in BA Fashion Communication and Promotion. As an Advisor for Youth Music and Assistant Programme Coordinator for Circle of Light, she is using her personal experiences and education to develop more sustainable and supportive platforms for the next generation of creatives.

Tonisha is an up-and-coming event planner based in London. For the past couple of years she has worked on community engagement projects through the arts. "At the very beginning of my journey I wanted to create experiences for people to remember and that’s the goal moving forward."

Vanessa Maria champions music and mental health as a Speaker, DJ, Presenter and former Mental Health Representative at Bristol University. Following on from a Psychology degree, she successfully led campaigns around student mental health. Now working in development at the BBC, she merges her work in media with activism, combining her love for music with her drive to advocate around health & well-being.

First making her mark in music on 1020 radio, she began using her platform to share her love for underground Trap, Rap and Drill. In the club, Vanessa’s sets showcase sounds from around the world, infusing high-energy Baile Funk rhythms with everything from Afro-Trap to Hard Drum. Having worked with the BBC, BBC 1xtra, VICE, Channel 4, gal-dem, Mixcloud, Boiler room, Notion magazine, Foundation FM, Eric Festival, 1020 Radio and Creative Access, Vanessa is dedicated to mental health advocacy in music, media and beyond.

Zahra is an aspiring music journalist, who has recently graduated with a First Class honours in Journalism with Education. In 2018, she was the youngest of 100 student journalists to attend Future News Worldwide; a 3 day journalism conference hosted by the British Council, of which had 3000 applicants from around the globe.  Her favourite experience so far includes a concert review of SuperM's show in London, wherein she interviewed BBC Radio 1 Podcaster Sammy Albon into the rise of K-Pop within the U.K, and created a 5-minute long accompanying video. Additionally, Zahra works consistently with Versus Arthritis, the BBC's Children In Need and the National Children's Bureau.