The fund will support future headliners of ‘a city that lives and breathes music’
Global art producer Wild in Art has launched the brand-new Greater Manchester Grassroots Music Fund. Managed by Forever Manchester, the fund will provide grassroots artists in the region with the opportunity to apply for much-needed financial support, helping with costs like transport, promotion and payment for their work.
The funding itself will be raised by music fans and supporters who can bid on 55 iconic guitars which have been either donated by music legends, such as Oasis and New Order, or have been turned into original music-inspired artworks that have been admired as part of the Music For The Senses art trail this summer.
The Cathedral of Sound by Lazerian in Mayfield Park played host as some of Greater Manchester’s finest up-and-coming artists brought the installation to life in a special one-off lunchtime gig to help kick things off.
Performing on the day was a cracking line-up of local talent, whose portraits also featured on guitars forming part of Lazerian’s other Music for the Senses installation Guitar Street, including Rumbi Tauro, Cobain Jones, Concrete Club, Lily Rae Grant, Alex Spencer, and Macharia — a rich variety of artists who represent the next generation of the city’s music scene, and exactly the kind of acts the new fund is here to support.
The online auction is officially live, building towards the grand auction which will be held at Hallé St Peter's in Ancoats on Friday 12 September, with all proceeds going straight into the new grassroots music fund.
Ben Reed, Head of Creative Development at Wild in Art, said: "Whilst demand for live music events remains high, many grassroots artists simply cannot afford to tour. It’s a global, industry wide problem, and our creative solution has been to harness the excitement and global interest in our city, to create a fund that delivers for the grassroots, whilst also creating a free interactive event for people in the city.
“How much we can fund, depends on what people bid and so to launch the fund, we put on a pop up, stripped back show at the Cathedral of Sound installation in Mayfield Park, to showcase some of the brilliant grassroots talent that could benefit from it.
"Every guitar in the trail is either a work of art, or has been owned by a musician that is part of our rich musical heritage, so bidders have the opportunity to own a piece of Manchester music history, whilst also supporting its future."
This new fund follows hot on the heels of Manchester City Council’s £250k commitment to supporting the city’s grassroots venues. While that secures the stages, the Greater Manchester Grassroots Music Fund helps make sure our local artists can actually get out there and use them.
Applications for the fund open in November 2025, with full criteria and details released after the Music for the Senses grand auction.
Fancy owning a piece of Manchester music history while helping secure its future? Check out the guitars and place your bids now via the Music for the Senses online auction or attend the event on 12th September.
Header image credit: David Oates
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