Music:Leeds / Launchpad Power New Careers with Leeds Music Industry SWAP

This intensive course combined real-world expertise, practical workshops, panel discussions, and behind-the-scenes visits to famous music venues. The main goals for the SWAP programme were to increase awareness of music career paths, including freelancing and setting up as a sole trader, while improving the understanding of informal or casual training and education pathways in the music sector. The organisers also aimed to develop employability skills through CV workshops and transferable skills audits, build confidence to raise career aspirations, and connect young people directly with real employers and industry role models. Finally, the programme was designed to create local networks and peer support spaces within the Leeds music scene and provide sustained support through Launchpad initiatives by signposting new jobs, networks, and development programmes.

The two weeks were packed with practical training, real-world insights, and networking opportunities. This included expert classroom learning with multiple core workshops led by Course Leader Ed Heaton, alongside three industry panels that offered focused Q&A sessions exploring Freelancing, Marketing, and Live Music. Participants also went on three venue and team visits to The Wardrobe, Leeds First Direct Arena, and O2 Academy Leeds, attended individual 1:1 advice sessions with business advisors, and joined a final-day 'Industry Mixer' celebration at The Attic to bring participants together with local music professionals, organisations, and the wider Launchpad community. To ensure long-term success, the programme also provided holistic aftercare through continued career support and signposting across existing Launchpad initiatives.

The programme was highly successful and made a deep impact on the 12 participants who completed the course. During their final presentations, the young people showed how much they had grown. They gained practical tools for their CVs, built business knowledge, and learned exactly how to work as freelancers, proving that the balance between classroom workshops and physical venue visits gave them real-world context for their goals. The programme does not simply stop when the two weeks end, as many participants are already using Launchpad’s ongoing services to actively release music, attend events, and find new career opportunities. Based on this strong demand, the Launchpad team is perfectly positioned to develop and deliver more of these long-term programmes in the future.

About: Launchpad is Yorkshire's leading talent development and music sector support organisation. It was founded as Music Leeds in 2017 and has conducted major sector feedback as well as support to hundreds of emerging artists and industry careers. We provide music industry regional signposting, advice, opportunities, events (including our annual Launchpad Conference at Leeds Beckett), release support, career pathway development working with schools / music hubs, and our talent development programme Launchpad Connect and Launchpad Future Leaders.  

Launchpad is delivered by Music Local, and is supported by Youth Music, with public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, PPL Giving, Bradford Council, Leeds City Council funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and PRS Foundation's Talent Development Partnership supported by PPL.

To find out more about the Music: Local and the work that they do visit:

• Website: https://musiclocal.co.uk
• Instagram: @musicleeds
• X: @musicleeds
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/musiclocal  

If you would like to get involved in Discover Creative Careers, either as a student, educator, or industry professional, please fill out our Expression of Interest Form today.