THE official charity of the BRIT Awards and of the BPI and wider recorded music industry – The BRIT Trust – this week celebrates its 30th birthday with the news that it has now distributed £26.5 million to a range of worthy causes since it was first set up in 1989.
The BRIT Trust receives its monies from The BRIT Awards, The Classic BRITs, both of which are charity shows, as well as the annual fundraising dinner the MITs (Music Industry Trusts Award), which started in 1991.
The Trust’s long-time mission has been to promote education and wellbeing through music, and, over three decades, it has provided thousands of young people of all backgrounds, many of whom have gone on to successful careers, with extensive opportunities in the music and creative industries.
The biggest beneficiaries are the unique free School for Performing Arts & Technology, The BRIT School in Croydon and Nordoff Robbins, one of the leading independent music therapy charities in the UK. Since 1989, The BRIT Trust has donated close to £15 million to The BRIT School alone, which, beyond monies raised from the most recent BRIT Awards and MITs dinner, also includes a major donation in regard to upcoming capital projects.
In addition, amongst a number of fund-raising events and private, individual gifts, there was a separate donation from YouTube Music. This will allow for a complete refurbishment of the School’s existing TV, film and media production suite to feature state-of-the-art equipment, including a 16 channel audio desk, three studio cameras, playback screens and monitors.
The BRIT School also fosters a unique relationship with Apple, and over 150 students have performed in its London stores as part of the Today At Apple programme, which focuses on education, creativity and community – aligning with The BRIT School’s and the Trust’s core values.
Beyond The BRIT School and Nordoff Robbins, the Trust has also made donations to a wide range of other good causes. These include mental health charity Mind – which in 2018 was presented with a cheque for £200,000 (accepted by musician, George Ezra, as its patron) to promote mental health in schools and in the music industry.
Other charities to benefit over three decades include War Child, Save The Children, Key4Life, Chicken Shed, The Prince’s Trust, Music Support (of which Robbie Williams is the patron),DrugWise and many more. The Trust has also supported two other educational establishments that are involved with creative industry education, including Birmingham Ormiston Academy and ELAM Academy (East London Arts & Music).
The Trust additionally fosters a number of other initiatives. Together with The BRIT School, BRIT Kids has now been running successfully for over 18 years and annually trains more than six hundred eight-to-18 year-olds in London and Corby, and last month The Trust and the School announced a new commercial and fundraising venture, BRIT for Business, which draws on the experience and knowledge of respected business coaches and trainers that have developed a connection with the school over the past 25 years – to create an unique training offer for ambitious businesses looking to develop their talent creatively.
The BRITs Apprentice Scheme – launched in January 2018 by the BPI and funded in large part by The BRIT Trust with monies raised through The BRIT Awards – gives ten people from diverse backgrounds in England and Wales a unique high-quality paid opportunity to work in the music industry, gain a grounding and develop their digital marketing and business administration skills.
Chair of The BRIT Trust, John Craig OBE, said: “At the Trust, we recognise how important it is to provide opportunities for young people to express their creativity, often through music. More than ever, in today’s society, it is critical to give students life skills that convert into jobs. Over the last four years, 99 per cent of students leaving the school have either gone into higher education or jobs within the creative economy which is growing faster than any other sector.
“Over £25 million is an extraordinary figure made possible by all the artists who have appeared at the BRIT Awards over the years, the acts who performed at Knebworth 29 years ago and all who have performed at the MITS dinners.
“This sum has only been made possible through their generosity of spirit and the Trust works hard, and will continue to do so, to ensure that as many young people as possible can benefit at a time when the social, cultural and economic importance of the arts in this country are under threat.”
Jason Iley, chair and CEO, Sony Music UK and Ireland, and outgoing BRIT Awards chair, said: “The BRIT Trust has been making a hugely positive contribution to society for three decades and during my tenure as BRITs chair I got a real insight into the magnitude of work and the difference that their fundraising makes towards people’s lives. I am particularly proud to have been able to support Mind last year in their efforts to educate and help raise awareness around mental health.”
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI and BRIT Awards, said: “The BRIT Trust embodies the passionate belief at the BPI, among labels and right across the music industry, that music is a powerful force for good.
“Over 30 years, it has channelled more than £25 million raised by The BRIT Awards, the MITs and other activities, to a range of fantastic charities promoting education and careers, diversity, wellbeing and healing through music. I wish a hugely well-deserved ‘Happy Birthday’ to The BRIT Trust, and we will continue to support it in its vital work changing lives through the wonderful power of music.”
Maggie Crowe OBE, events and charity director BPI and BRIT Awards, said: “It’s hard to imagine where The BRIT School and Nordoff Robbins would be without the commitment of The BRIT Trust, but many smaller charities, ranging from DrugsWise to Chickenshed have also been given lifelines that have made a real difference to the thousands of young people they benefit.
“John Craig, his predecessors and all the trustees that have generously given their time over many years deserve huge recognition and thanks, and I am proud to have been a part of this truly collective effort by all parts of the music industry.”
BRITs Icon and Music Support patron, Robbie Williams, said: “Music entertains, inspires and moves us, but it also has a tremendous capacity to heal – to lift us when we are down and to make us feel that we are not alone. That’s why I am so passionate about the work of Music Support in tackling mental health and addictions issues around music, and why I am so grateful for the backing the charity receives from The BRITs and The BRIT Trust.”
Eric Mtungwazi, managing director, Music Support, said: “We are tremendously grateful and proud to be associated with The BRIT Trust. It has shown great vision in its willingness and commitment in enabling charities such as ours that are concerned with the emotional and mental health and wellbeing of people working in the music industry. Music Support would like to join the rest of the industry in congratulating The BRIT Trust on its 30th anniversary and on its impact on vital causes. We wish it many more years of making a difference where it matters most.”
Eva Hamilton MBE, founder and CEO, Key4Life, said: “The BRIT Trust has been an incredible supporter of Key4Life. Much of what the charity has achieved since it started in 2012 simply would not have been possible without their funding. In addition, given that music is an integral part of the programme helping young men in prison or at risk, the relationships they have opened up for us in and around the music industry have been critical.”
Nordoff Robbins CEO, Julie Whelan, said: “The BRIT Trust has been one of Nordoff Robbins’ longest standing supporters. Their generous funding over the years has allowed us to use the power of music therapy to enhance the lives of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, disabilities and feelings of isolation. In the last four years alone we’ve been able to double the number of people we’re supporting to 10,000 – we couldn’t have done this without the amazing support of The BRIT Trust.”
The BRIT School was set up in 1991 and remains the only non-fee paying secondary school in the UK delivering specialised performing arts training in the UK. Since then, over 9,000 students have passed through its doors including musicians and singers ranging from Adele, Katie Melua to Jessie J, Ella Eyre and Loyle Carner and 2019 hot picks Freya Ridings, Jade Bird and Octavian; to actors such as Tom Holland (Spiderman), Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife) and Ashley Thomas (24:Legacy).
Stuart Worden, principal, The BRIT School, said: “Happy Birthday BRIT Trust. Over the past 30 years, your passionate support for The BRIT School has benefitted thousands of young people; from the household names who tour the world, are on our screens and on our stages to many unsung heroes working in music, theatre, film and the arts. The BRIT Trust has been our greatest friend and transformed lives and made dreams come true. Not only is the School grateful for their commitment to championing music and education but the whole country too.”
Recording artist and BRIT School alumnus, Jade Bird, said: “When I first went to a BRIT talk (wanting to get in that year), they said ‘If you’re the kid that listens to music on the train home from playing it all day in class then you belong here’. It strikes me how important it is to have somewhere like this funded by the BRIT Trust for people like us – who live and breathe art, not numbers.”
ENDS
Enquiries
Jonathan Morrish jm@morrishcomms.plus.com +44 (0)7802 239 416
Gennaro Castaldo gennaro.castaldo@bpi.co.uk +44 (0)7801 194 139
Notes for editors:
About The BRIT Trust | www.brittrust.co.uk/
Established in 1989, and entirely funded by the recorded music industry – principally through The BRIT Awards – The Trust’s mission is to give young people of all backgrounds a chance to express their musical creativity regardless of race, class, gender or ability. The Trust exists to promote education and wellbeing through music and to date has donated millions to a range of progressive causes and charities, including The BRIT School, East London Arts and Music (ELAM) and Nordoff Robbins music therapy. It also supports the work of addictions and mental health charity Music Support and Key4Life, which seeks to direct young men who are in prison or at risk of going there away from a life of crime by drawing on their passion for music.
About The BRIT School | http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk
The BRIT School is a one of a kind FREE Performing Arts and Technology School. It is an independent state funded City College for the Technology of the Arts, dedicated to education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible.
As a school for 14 to 19-year-olds, it is unique and pioneering in its approach to education. It recognises that most students intend to make a career in the arts, entertainment and communications industries, but the school expects all to follow full time courses to completion. It is a vocational school for students set on a life devoted to art, dance, music, musical theatre, radio, television/film or theatre.
The BRIT School also prides itself on providing an excellent general education that helps prepare young people for the future. It encourages students to go on to specialist colleges and universities or into employment in the creative industries.
As the school is devoted to the arts, it also recognises that the technology of its name and title is essential for a complete education. It has formidable resources to allow students to study in sophisticated environments equivalent to a modern workplace. BRIT stands for the British Record Industry Trust. Without the generosity of the record industry and funding from the BRIT Awards, the school would never have been built and its superb facilities would never have been installed.
About Nordoff Robbins |www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk/about-nordoff-robbins
Nordoff Robbins is recognised as the largest independent music therapy charity in the UK, dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people. It supports thousands of people through its centres and by working in partnership with a wide range of organisations including care homes, schools and hospitals.
Music therapy is a specialist use of music that aims to facilitate physical and emotional wellbeing, and to promote the development and retention of key communication skills. A wide range of instruments can be used in music therapy, including the voice, and the music created is often improvised. Music therapists support people to develop their own ways of being musical in order to explore their potential and connect with the world around them.
In the hands of a trained practitioner, music therapy can be used to support people living with a wide range of needs. It can help a child with autism to communicate, unlock forgotten memories for those living with dementia or provide comfort and celebrate the life of someone facing a terminal illness.
About The BRIT Awards | http://www.brits.co.uk/
The BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) Awards are organised by the BPI – the record labels’ association that promotes British music. The BRIT Awards 2019 with Mastercard was the 39th BRIT Awards, which has raised well over £21m for The BRIT Trust charity, whose main beneficiaries are The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technologywww.brit.croydon.sch.uk, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.
About the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) | www.bpi.co.uk
The BPI champions the UK’s recorded music industry, safeguarding the rights of its members and of the artists, performers and label members of collecting body PPL. The BPI’s membership consists of well over 400 independent labels and the UK’s three ‘majors’, which together account for 85 per cent of legitimate domestic music consumption and one in eight albums sold around the world.
The BPI promotes British music overseas through its trade missions and the Music Exports Growth Scheme. It provides insights, training and networking with its free masterclasses, Innovation Hub, Insight Sessions, WidsomWednesdays events, and reports. The BPI administers The BRIT Certified Awards, co-owns The Official Charts, organises The BRIT Awards and BRITs Week, and is also home to The Mercury Prize.
About the MITs Dinner (Music Industry Trusts Award) | www.mitsaward.co.uk
Now in its 28th year, the honouree chosen for the 2018 award was one of the most successful and respected talent agents in the music industry, Emma Banks, co-Head of Creative Arts Agency (CAA) London.
Originally chaired by The Lord Levy, the committee’s reins were taken over in 1996 by David Munns (former vice-chair, EMI Recorded Music Worldwide). He continues to be ably assisted by his deputy chairmen, Toby Leighton-Pope and Adam White. A wide cross-section of music industry professionals complete the committee, and, working together, they have ensured that the fundraising dinner is an occasion not to be missed by anyone who matters in the business of music. Other honourees include, amongst many, Gary Barlow, Simon Cowell, Roger Daltrey CBE, BRIT Trustee Rob Dickins CBE, Michael Eavis CBE, Peter Gabriel, Sir Lucian Grainge CBE, Sir Elton John CBE and Bernie Taupin, Sir Tom Jones, Sir George Martin CBE, Kylie Minogue OBE and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
About Knebworth 1990
The Knebworth 1990 show took place on June 30 and featured Status Quo, Tears For Fears, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Dire Straits, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins with Genesis, Pink Floyd. The show raised very significant sums of money for Nordoff Robbins and the BRIT School. In fact the School owes its existence to the show.
Nick Mason, Pink Floyd, said: “Knebworth was actually a great event. A lot of terrific bands, a lot of bands that I would have paid to go and see, and there we were for free! The most significant thing really was for us that this was the sort of kick off for the BRIT Trust and funding for the Brit School, which I think now, is even more relevant than it was over 25 years ago – particularly for new young musicians. If I was honest, when we were asked to do the show – we jumped at it and it was a really nice idea to be able to do a concert that was geared to actually doing something for someone else.”
Sir Cliff Richard said: “I was there with The Shadows and it was a fantastic event, and of course who would have thought that from there would come the BRIT School? Of course, BRITs have supported Nordoff Robbins. The education for children and their better understanding of music is a necessity.”
About the BRITs Apprenticeship Scheme | http://www.brittrust.co.uk/apprenticeships/
The BRITs Apprentice Scheme, started in January 2018, gives ten young people from England and Wales a unique, high quality, paid opportunity to work in the industry at a top independent record label or music company, learn about the recorded music industry, receive practical ‘hands on’ experience, develop relevant skills and make key contacts. Apprenticeships are an important way to help bring in new and diverse talent into the industry and are in line with the Government’s commitment to education, skills and training. The scheme is open to individuals aged 18 and over and successful applicants are matched with independent record labels and music companies who are members of the BPI. They will receive specialist training in either business administration or digital marketing.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by BPI. You too can share your stories (aka press or media releases), on this site. Email here for more information.
Check out twitter.com/scotsbulletin for your very own media releases feed…
Check out too twitter.com/allMusicPR and twitter.com/allCharitiesPR.
Stay connected with our various twitter feeds: Charities, Drink, Education, Energy, Fashion, Film, Food, Gardens, Legal, Motors, Music, Outdoors, Property, Science and Sports. And not forgetting Finance, Theatre, Travel, Festivals, Visual Arts, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.
BPI contact details…
Contact: BPI
Email: gennaro.castaldo@bpi.co.uk
