How Moving on Music is supporting Northern Ireland’s homegrown talent

Showcasing Northern Ireland’s music talents has never been more important. Despite its rich cultural heritage and immense homegrown talent, artists face challenges in accessing the resources and support they need to build sustainable careers.

Established in 1995, Moving on Music is one of Northern Ireland’s leading music organisations. Based in Belfast, they promote jazz, folk, classical and traditional music, as well as other genres that push boundaries. Over nearly three decades, they’ve coordinated tours, organised festivals and supported countless artists through outreach and education projects.

Introducing Middle Aisle

In 2021, Moving on Music launched Middle Aisle, a music agency and development project designed to address the gaps in support for local artists. The initiative works with a roster of folk, jazz, classical and traditional musicians from Northern Ireland, providing performance opportunities and career development.

PPL Giving, our £1 million annual programme supporting the music community, has played a key role in supporting the development of Middle Aisle. Its backing has allowed Moving on Music to increase its capacity to deliver the project and provide more opportunities for artists to thrive.

Middle Aisle acts as both an agency and a developmental support system. The project helps artists secure bookings, plan tours, release music and connect with industry professionals. Between April and October 2024, PPL Giving’s support helped Middle Aisle to organise 22 concerts for six artists in 17 venues across 10 counties, reaching around 1,800 people.

Artists also receive tailored support, including guidance on funding applications, advice on showcasing opportunities, support for album launches and promotion, and connections with potential larger promoters and agencies for UK and European tours.

Workshops with industry professionals are also part of the plan, giving artists practical advice and networking opportunities.

A vision for long-term artist development

Paula McColl, Creative Producer at Moving on Music, explains the motivation behind Middle Aisle: “Moving On Music has supported artists in various ways over the years. In 2016, we launched an Emerging Artist Programme with funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The programme ran for four years and while it was very impactful for musicians involved,  it further highlighted the difficulties artists in Northern Ireland face in sustaining a career without more professional help.”

“Middle Aisle was born out of a want to assist artists in the longer term, in the way we felt best placed to do with our skills and networks. The artists selected for the roster are ones who we believe we are in a position to assist, who we believe will benefit from the support at that time, and ultimately whose music we love!”

PPL Giving’s role in supporting Middle Aisle

For Moving on Music, the goal is to grow Middle Aisle into a stable, year-round program that can support more artists. Expanding opportunities beyond Northern Ireland and connecting local talent with UK and European audiences are key priorities.

“PPL’s support has been vital in enabling us to continue this project by increasing our capacity to deliver it,” Paula says. “It’s become a strategic priority for us, and we’re working to find ways to develop and sustain it for the long term.”

Middle Aisle is already making a difference, giving artists the tools they need to grow their careers while connecting audiences to the incredible talent in Northern Ireland. With the continued support of organisations like PPL Giving, projects like this are helping to build a brighter future for Northern Ireland’s music scene.

For more information on how PPL Giving supports organisations like Moving on Music, visit our PPL Giving page.

Article image: Córas Trio