LAUNCHPAD FUND TO HELP WELSH MUSICIANS TAKE THE NEXT STEPS

Arts Council of Wales and BBC Wales are calling for talented Welsh artists and bands to apply for the Launchpad fund.

Launchpad will offer grants of up to £2,000 to help artists or bands to fulfil their potential and reach the next level. Aimed at emerging musicians that already demonstrate promise, Launchpad is part of the Horizons Gorwelion scheme to develop new and independent contemporary music in Wales.

Launchpad was started in 2014 and has supported over 135 artists, from more than 50 Welsh towns. A diverse mix of musicians will be supported in their creative work by the fund, allowing them to pay for studio time and equipment, commission photography, artwork and video, promote their work and go on tour.

One of last year’s musicians was Flintshire hip-hop artist Ennio the Little Brother whose work has been played on BBC 6 Music. He said:

"Receiving the Horizons grant was a huge surprise to me. It felt incredible to be a part of a group of Welsh musicians looking to take our craft to the next level. With the grant, I purchased a guitar amplifier and a looper pedal, which have both helped me to drastically improve my live performances. Just a year ago, I relied heavily on backing tracks to bolster my set, but now I can creatively compose layered music on the spot; completely live. As well as this, the way I write music has changed too! I now use the looper to create new compositions.”

Cardiff-based rapper and singer NonameDisciple received support for her A Millennial's Godfidence project. Tracks went on to be played by DJ Semtex in his "5 Tunes You Need To Know" and by DJ Target on BBC 1xtra.  She was also selected to play on the ‘BBC Introducing’ stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival.  She said: “Launchpad fund has been vital towards helping my music reach audiences, I feel honoured and thankful."

Singer-songwriter Beth Celyn from Caernarfon used Launchpad to promote her new EP. She said: “I’m so grateful to Horizons for their support and faith in me as an artist. Receiving the grant has been a massive encouragement. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to gig or compose new material this year as my digital piano broke a few months before the launch of my debut EP. The launch scheme enabled me to buy a new digital piano and I’ve already had some invaluable experiences - from performing at the Pan Celtic Festival over in Ireland to playing at Festival No.6 in Portmeirion."

From Wednesday 17 October applications to Launchpad will be open to Wales based artists and bands.  Entries will close at midnight on Friday 16 November 2018.

For more information about Launchpad and how to apply, as well as the Horizons initiative, go to www.bbc.co.uk/horizons

Mae Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru    a BBC Cymru'n galw am artistiaid a bandiau Cymreig dawnus i ymgeisio am gyllid o’r gronfa Lawnsio.  

Bydd Lawnsio’n cynnig grantiau o hyd at £2,000 i helpu artistiaid neu fandiau i gyflawni eu potensial a chyrraedd y lefel nesaf. Mae Lawnsio, sy'n targedu cyw-gerddorion sydd eisoes yn dangos addewid, yn rhan o'r cynllun  Horizons/Gorwelion  sy’n anelu at ddatblygu cerddoriaeth gyfoes newydd ac annibynnol yng Nghymru.

Cychwynnwyd Lawnsio yn 2014 ac mae'r cynllun eisoes wedi cynorthwyo dros 135 o artistiaid o dros 50 o wahanol drefi yng Nghymru. Caiff amrywiaeth eang o gerddorion gymorth gyda'u gwaith creadigol trwy'r gronfa, a fydd yn caniatáu iddynt dalu am offer ac amser stiwdio, comisiynu ffotograffiaeth, gwaith celf a fideo, hybu eu gwaith a mynd â’u gwaith ar daith.

Un o gerddorion llwyddiannus y llynedd oedd yr artist hip-hop o Sir y Fflint Ennio the Little Brother y mae ei waith wedi cael ei chwarae ar BBC 6 Music. Meddai:

"Roedd derbyn y grant Gorwelion yn sypreis a hanner i mi. Roedd hi'n teimlo'n anhygoel bod yn rhan o grŵp o gerddorion Cymreig sydd am fynd â'n crefft ymlaen i'r lefel nesaf. Brynais i amp i'r gitâr a phedal dolennu gyda’r grant, ac mae'r ddau wedi fy nghynorthwyo i wella fy mherfformiadau byw yn sylweddol. Cwta flwyddyn yn ôl, roeddwn i'n dibynnu'n drwm ar draciau cefndir i ategu fy set, ond nawr rwy'n gallu cyfansoddi cerddoriaeth haenog yn greadigol yn y fan a'r lle; yn hollol fyw. Mae'r ffordd rwy'n mynd ati i ysgrifennu cerddoriaeth wedi newid yn ogystal! Rwy'n defnyddio'r dolennwr i greu cyfansoddiadau newydd hefyd."

Cafodd y rapiwr a'r gantores o Gaerdydd,  NonameDisciple  gymorth ar gyfer ei phrosiect    A Millennial's Godfidence . Aeth ei thraciau ymlaen i gael eu chwarae gan  DJ Semtex  yn ei   " 5 Tunes You Need To Know "   a chan y  DJ Target  ar  BBC 1xtra.   Cafodd ei dethol hefyd i chwarae ar lwyfan 'BBC Introducing' yng Ngwyliau Reading a Leeds.  Dywedodd:  

“Mae'r gronfa Lawnsio wedi bod yn hanfodol wrth helpu fy ngherddoriaeth i gyrraedd cynulleidfaoedd, rwy'n teimlo’n freintiedig ac yn ddiolchgar."  

Defnyddiodd y gantores a'r gyfansoddwraig o Gaernarfon,  Beth Celyn  Lawnsio i hybu ei EP newydd. Dywedodd:

“Dwi mor ddiolchgar i Gorwelion am eu cefnogaeth a'u ffydd ynof fi fel artist. Mae derbyn y grant wedi rhoi anogaeth aruthrol i mi. Hebddo, fyddwn i ddim wedi gallu gigio na chyfansoddi deunydd newydd eleni am i fy mhiano digidol dorri ychydig fisoedd cyn lansio fy EP cyntaf. Diolch i'r cynllun Lawnsio bu modd i mi brynu piano digidol newydd ac rydw i wedi cael profiadau anhepgor eisoes - o berfformio yn yr Ŵyl Ban Geltaidd draw yn Iwerddon, i chwarae yng Ngŵyl Rhif 6 ym Mhortmeirion."

Bydd ceisiadau i'r gronfa Lawnsio’n agor i artistiaid a bandiau yng Nghymru ddydd Mercher, 17 Hydref.  Bydd ceisiadau'n cau am ganol nos, nos Wener 16 Tachwedd 2018.   

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am Y Gronfa Lawnsio   a sut i wneud cais, yn ogystal â'r fenter Gorwelion, ewch i  www.bbc.co.uk/horizons