Pioneering talent development organisation and charity Tomorrow’s Warriors has launched its appeal #IAMWARRIOR, with the aim to ‘Support The Next Jazz Generation’ and raise £100k in much-needed funds to help sustain its £Free to access Young Artist Development Programme and Emerging Artist Programme.
The award-winning organisation has launched the appeal with an emotive fundraising film featuring founders Dr Gary Crosby OBE and Janine Irons OBE, alumni and current Warriors musicians here and invites supporters to donate at www.gofundme.com/IAMWARRIOR2023.
Free access to Tomorrow’s Warriors’ award-winning artistic programme has proved crucial in nurturing the nascent talent and early careers of so many artists currently tearing up the international jazz scene, including Femi Koleoso and the Mercury Prize-winning Ezra Collective, Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Sheila Maurice-Grey, Cassie Kinoshi, Binker Golding, Shabaka Hutchings and Sons of Kemet, ESKA, Denys Baptiste, Soweto Kinch, Camilla George, Blue Lab Beats, Dave Okumu, CHERISE, Jason Yarde, Byron Wallen…the list goes on.
Janine Irons OBE, co-founder & CEO of Tomorrow’s Warriors said "In what is our 32nd year, we return with our #IAMWARRIOR appeal and invite all our supporters to help us keep making a difference to the next generation of talent and keeping the scene fresh, diverse and exciting. Tomorrow’s Warriors gives young musicians a place and a space to thrive and realise their creative ambitions. Indeed, it provided the conditions for the Mercury Prize-winning Ezra Collective to emerge! But we can’t continue to deliver our programmes free of charge to exceptional young talent without your help. As we celebrate the power of music, we must also acknowledge a stark reality: the very real creative divide that keeps aspiring musicians from diverse backgrounds, and those facing economic hardship, from being able to access a career in music. Music education is a right not a privilege and programmes like ours need consistent support. The UK Jazz ecosystem and talent pipeline relies on Tomorrow’s Warriors to keep feeding it from the grassroots upwards, so please support us so we can stay true to our purpose.”
VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/XCjqCXp2z7c?si=g3FDik6ZK7V6LBYG
