Jazz North announces the latest round of New Northern for 2026/27
New Northern applications are now open!
Are you a Northern jazz promoter or Northern jazz festival?
Jazz North announces the latest round of New Northern: a grassroots & independent promoter bursary, to support live emerging talent.
Northern jazz promoters are invited to apply for bursaries up to £1,000 to programme emerging northern talent and support acts.
For this round only, Jazz North will allocate a limited number of higher bursaries of up to £3,000 for Northern jazz festivals.
What is New Northern?
New Northern is Jazz North’s promoter bursary to support live emerging talent. It supports promoters to programme emerging northern artists by underwriting risk and helping pay essential costs.
Designed both to support emerging artists in the north and give an injection of cash to promoters who need it, this easy-access scheme offers a quick intervention to northern grassroots promoters facing difficult financial circumstances.
In response to the current and unique funding challenges being experienced by festivals, Jazz North has ringfenced an additional limited budget for this round to award to northern jazz festivals, who may apply for up to £3k towards their programme.
Chris Bye, Jazz North CEO, says:
"Funding pressures, rising costs, being asked to do more with less… the word ‘challenging’ doesn’t come close to how things are right now. In response, Jazz North is pleased to announce that New Northern will be doubled in size this year. Not only that, but we are opening up the programme to festivals as well.
With this expanded round of New Northern, Jazz North proudly supports and celebrates those that facilitate our local scenes, support new talent and make up an essential part of the northern night-time economy.”
Last year, Jazz North awarded bursaries to Lancaster Jazz Festival, Brume, Stockport Jazz, The Badness Centre and Hull Jazz.
With help from this small bursary, the promoters delivered remarkable work across the north:
“Financial assistance from Jazz North has been vital to ensure that Hulljazz remains the consistent provider of regular live jazz music in Hull”. Dave Ellis, Hull Jazz
“New Northern support has been of great help to Stockport Jazz, allowing us to diversify our programming, raise our profile in the North and develop links with similar organisations within the region and beyond.” Paul Hartley, Stockport Jazz
How to Apply
New Northern is open for applications until midday on Monday 3rd August 2026
Visit https://www.jazznorth.org/new-northern for more information and to apply or click the button below.
If you have any further queries about New Northern or the application process, please contact:
Helena Summerfield
She / Her | Programme Manager
E: helena@jazznorth.org