Open call to artists for Jazz North’s live touring support programme
Ellen Beth Abdi, current Northern Line artist / Credit: Kieran Irvine
Today we’ve opened the latest recruitment call to Northern jazz artists to apply for Jazz North’s live touring support programme, Northern Line. The selected cohort will receive an 18 month programme of 1:1 mentoring, a showcase at Manchester Jazz Festival 2026 and a bursary to support their live touring costs.
Northern Line is now open for applications until 12 noon on Friday 7th November 2025
So how do we select the artists? Northern Line artists are selected through an open application process and shortlisted by an advisory panel of music industry experts. For this 12th round, the panel includes Rianne Thompson (The Glasshouse ICM), Aisling Doherty (Serious), Josh Aitman (marketing manager at We Out Here), Thomas Rees (Radio Producer for Soweto Kinch’s Round Midnight), David Porter (Hull Jazz), Bob Walker (Scarborough Jazz) and Ni Maxine (previous Northern Line artist, programmer at The Wombat).
Successful applicants will perform at the Northern Line Showcase at manchester jazz festival (mjf) on Sunday 17th May 2026 in front of a public audience and invited music industry guests.
“For over a decade Northern Line has celebrated the most exciting new jazz coming through the northern scene. Once again Jazz North throws open the doors and invites the most innovative, engaging, subversive and sensational to step up.”
Dirty Freud, Northern Line Round 10 / Credit: James Darcey
Past Northern Line artist, Danni Skerrit (Dirty Freud) said: “Being on Jazz North has been massive for us as a band. It's taken us from being a band making good music to an outfit with some direction. We always knew how we wanted to sound, but doing this has given us the confidence to push on. Without this support […] we would not have had the time and space to create the music which really represents our sound, this would not have been possible without [Northern Line].”
Northern Line opens for applications at midday on Wednesday 1st October. Applications close at midday on Friday 7th November 2025.
Find out more: jazznorth.org/northern-line