MIF is offering £10,000 to local musicians and creatives in and around Manchesteras part of its MIF Sounds initiative.
Pledging £10,000 to support ten Greater Manchester music industry creatives and practitioners, the funds have been specially created to help local artists develop new projects across the region.
Manchester International Festival’s MIF Sounds Initiative provides financial help and talent development opportunities.
First launched in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, the first round of funding helped support the creation of new music, a series of production workshops run for women, non-binary and trans musicians, a sound artist collective to produce an installation in a church, and the launch of a new gig night promoting the best in Northern talent.
Now, the funding has been opened up for 2021 – meaning that each successful applicant will receive up to £1,000 whilst also benefiting from peer-to-peer support, access to MIF’s Talent Development activity and networking opportunities.
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MIF SOUNDS IS BACK! 🎶 Are you a music creative in Greater Manchester looking for extra financial support? Apply for MIF Sounds today, our programme designed to support you on your creative journey. Deadline: 12pm, Thursday 16 December https://t.co/FFL18pazNLpic.twitter.com/oOotp0WfOz
From recording music to presenting a gig, releasing a record or starting a new label imprint., people from all areas of the music industry in Greater Manchester are encouraged to apply with no restrictions on what they can ask to use the money for.
Jane Beese, head of music at MIF said: “I’m pleased to announce another round of MIF Sounds support, open to everyone who makes music happen in Manchester. MIF is committed to helping rebuild our sector following the impact of Covid*, in which tens of thousands of jobs have been impacted.
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“We encourage everyone involved in the local music scene to apply, artists, technicians, promoters, venues, labels, managers and beyond we look forward to hearing all of your brilliant ideas and proposals.”
Those supported through MIF Sounds so far have included: All Hands on Deck, Swing Ting founder Balraj Samrai, Jacob Connor, Loose Articles, Lone Taxidermist, singer OneDa, SAF-S2E, Sprechen, Vzion, and more.
Swing Ting founder Balraj Samraiexplains how the initiative helped him, saying: “The backing from MIF Sounds enabled me to commit to work outside of my comfort zone. There was support, feedback and encouragement from the rest of the Sounds cohort and MIF team throughout the creative process”.
On 23 November Balraj will release Someone Died Today, new work created with the support of MIF Sounds, which explores loss in a South Asian household during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The piece will be available to purchase on Bandcamp with money raised from sales going to Taraki, a non-profit working with Punjabi communities to reshape approaches to mental health.
People interested in applying MIF Sounds can attend an online meeting with MIF at 6.30 pm on Monday, 29 November to get advice from the selection panel on applying.
Applications for MIF Sounds should be submitted by video or in writing by midday on Thursday 16 December here. Successful applicants will be announced in January 2022.
Feature image – WHP
Manchester
Wolf Alice announce massive Manchester gig as part of new European tour
Get ready to lose your marbles, Manchester, because Wolf Alice aren’t just back with more music and a brand new but they’re playing a massive show right here in the city centre.
The beloved British alt and indie rock outfit is one of the most talented groups of musicians to come out of the country in some time, earning countless nods for their debut LP and winning the Mercury Prize award for their sophomore outing back in 2018.
Now eyeing up album number four and having dropped a smash-hit first single, which has already been met with even more acclaim (why break the habit of a lifetime?), they’ve got us even more excited with the announcement of a huge headline date here at the AO Arena.
The Clearing for the amount of limbs in that standing section couldn’t be big enough.
Set to return to Yorkshire later this year as part of the touring cycle for their long-awaited studio comeback, The Clearing, the Wolf Alice Manchester gig is one of a select few UK arena dates confirmed, such as an equivalent over at Leeds’ first direct arena.
The four-piece, fronted by Ellie Roswell, will also be playing a handful of intimate domestic shows.
Due for release on August 29, 2025, we already know the next project is going to be another brilliant entry by the multi-BRIT and NME Award winners.
Written in their native district of Seven Sisters in North London and recorded in LA with Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin, the album is being branded a “bold, emotionally rich evolution of their sound.”
“It’s a record that radiates ambition, confidence, and an unfiltered sense of self—arguably their most cohesive and timeless work to date.”
Better still, to help support the grassroots venues that helped them while coming up, £1 of every ticket from this show and other domestic arena shows on the soon-to-be fully confirmed European tour will be donated to fundraising efforts.
What do you make of their new direction?
General admission tickets for Wolf Alice at AO Arena are available on Friday, 23 May from 10am.
It goes without saying that the demand for these things will be massive, so we’d get in that online queue as quickly as possible. The support act(s) haven’t even been revealed yet either.
You can also sort yourself out with exclusive early access by signing up for the AO pre-sale window on Wednesday, 21 May at 5pm; Three Mobile members will have an earlier opportunity also from 10am earlier the same day.
Get ready to grab your tickets for Friday, 28 November HERE.
Manchester bar The Liquor Store is putting together the ultimate pre and post-gig package ahead of the Live ’25 Oasis reunion shows, perfect for anyone heading to Heaton Park for the momentous series of shows.
The brilliant Manc boozer, which borders Blackfriars Street and the edge of Deansgate, has been a popular spot both before and after nearby concerts for years, so it’s no surprise that they’re getting involved with the shows of the century.
With Oasis set to play a whopping five nights at Heaton Park this summer, people are already trying to figure out their plans for the big day(s), with fans flocking from all over the country to see them wherever they could manage to get tickets, especially at this massive outdoor show.
Good job the Liquor lads and ladies have you sorted.
Set to run ‘The Masterplan’ service (very good) for each of Oasis‘ huge hometown shows throughout July, The Liquor Store are making sure gig-goers get to the venue without any trouble and get plenty of time to get in the mood beforehand.
As well as a good old party afterwards, of course.
Offering a comprehensive concert package, complete with coach travel to Heaton Park, not to mention bottomless beer and pizza from 2-3pm when you’re in the bar itself, this music-obsessed bar is set to be the perfect place to fuel and carry on the Britpop party afterwards.
Littered with music memorabilia and images of local bands like the Burnage boys themselves, plus an absolutely unreal playlist of Oasis classics all day and all night, it’s the ideal setting to get you in the mood for the day.
There’ll also be a DJ set from much-loved local Jon Lowe from midday onwards. Oh yeah, and complimentary bucket hats and tambourines for wristband holders should help the good vibes along too.
Better still, even for those not buying ‘The Masterplan’ ticket – which includes the bus to the location and as much suds and scran as you can muster – entry to the venue for the before and after-parties is completely free. After all, it’s still a popular city centre watering hole whether Oasis are in town or not.
As for the coach, the service will depart at 4:30pm and is set to leave Heaton Park around 11:15pm, heading straight back to The Liquor Store, of course.
Ticket holders will be issued with a wristband that will allow them entry onto the coach and access to the bottomless scran and bevs. If you’re not on that bus 10 minutes before they set off, you will be left behind, unfortunately.
With that in mind, tickets are very limited, with less than 50 spots to secure, so if you want to be a part of the ultimate pre-drinks and post-gig party, you’d better act fast.
You can grab yours and find out the full terms and conditions HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
17th November 2021 
