Now in its 10th year, Northern Line is the leading live development programme for jazz and jazz-inspired artists in the North.
Northern Line is the roster of the most pioneering, bold and innovative artists across the scene. It’s a roster of the best new talent, recognised by promoters, festivals, funders and management.
This is a sector-leading, 18-month programme, offering northern jazz artists transformative support regarding live performance, careers & industry skills.
Northern Line involves intensive 121 support, mentoring and industry upskilling. Artists will be invited to perform at our showcase at Manchester Jazz Festival, the North’s largest jazz festival.
Northern Line offers tangible marketing support, EPKs and crucially, Jazz North will provide bursary support to subsidise your live activity.
Northern Line is moving to an artist-centred bursary model, reflecting project grant and other available touring funds. This change allows us to respond to different promoter payment models and more fully support the surrounding costs of gigs and touring.
For those familiar with the previous model, still applicable to the 22-23 roster, we will no longer be subsidising tours based on a 30/50/70% share of artist fees between Jazz North and the promoter.
Instead, artists apply to Jazz North for a maximum bursary of £3000 to support their touring costs. This can be used to fund travel, accommodation, rehearsals, equipment and other relevant costs in addition to subsidising artist fees.
Introduced as a direct response to increased travel costs and changing promoter models for artist fees and expenses, this model will allow greater flexibility for both the promoter and the artist.
Promoters will enter into an agreement with Jazz North on booking a Northern Line artist through the scheme, in order to qualify for financial support through Northern Line.
In the first instance, promoters should contact the artist to discuss dates and fee arrangements. You can request contact details by emailing heather@jazznorth.org.
On agreeing the event as a Northern Line supported show, promoters can make a booking request by emailing heather@jazznorth.org with the following information:
Upon artist, promoter and Jazz North confirming the request, Jazz North will issue the promoter with a Northern Line agreement stipulating our support and conditions for booking an artist through Northern Line.
| 20 February 2023 | Artist applications open |
| 20 March 2023 | Artist applications close |
| 17 April 2023 | New Northern Line roster announced |
| 21 May 2023, 1 – 8 pm | Northern Line Showcase at Manchester Jazz Festival |
| 1 September 2023 | Touring Starts |
| 30 September 2023 | Touring Ends |
Block out your diaries for our Northern Line showcase, returning to Manchester Jazz Festival on Sunday 21st May 2023 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the scheme. This is our official launch of the new roster and your chance to see each of the bands perform live showcase sets. In addition, we’ll host two networking sessions for promoters across the North and Northern Line artists to come together.
If you’d like to attend this networking event, please email heather@jazznorth.org to receive your invitation.
Following the success of our promoter bursary scheme, we are reshaping our Emerging Artist support to put promoters in the driving seat. This scheme will support 10 promoters in the north to develop and present emerging artists in their programme, with the financial support of Jazz North.
New Northern, a promoter bursary scheme to support emerging talent, will be launching in June. Details and dates will be announced in due course. If you’d like to be informed of when this application opens, please register your interest using this form. https://forms.gle/pLFDKgkqf6pRzhLC6