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The UK Government has awarded £13.5m ($17m/€16m) to creative technology firms and artists in Merseyside and the West Midlands.
The investment is set to go towards training, research and development in a bid to boost jobs and economic growth.
Liverpool City Region’s MusicFutures cluster will benefit from £6.75m to bring together partners including the city’s two universities, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena.
The cluster will provide funding and training for musicians, educators and small businesses to utilise new technology and explore making the live music sector more environmentally sustainable.
“UK Music is delighted to be a Core Partner of MusicFutures. The awarding of £6.75 million is great news for both Liverpool City Region and the music industry,” said UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl.
“There has been much discussion in recent years about the importance of creative clusters, informing policy making in the process. Providing MusicFutures with this funding boost means the music industry will at last have an opportunity to really get to grips with these crucial debates, helping support positive future outcomes for the sector in Liverpool and beyond.”
CreaTech Frontiers in the West Midlands will also benefit from £6.75m with the investment focusing on developing businesses specialising in creative tech.
“Liverpool and Merseyside hold a special place in our nation’s music landscape, and this funding will support imagination and experimentation across the city and region, as creators explore how we can make gigs more environmentally friendly,” said UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy who announced the funding.
“Birmingham and the West Midlands have a rich industrial history, and we are putting them at the forefront of a potential new industry developing the amazing technology that will revolutionise visual effects in film, theatre and gaming.”
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