Tŷ Cerdd and FOCUS Wales create Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the #WelshMusicAbroad partnership.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

FOCUS Wales and Tŷ Cerdd | Music Wales have announced their new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance the international profile of Welsh music under the banner of #WelshMusicAbroad.

We have received the following press release;

Tŷ Cerdd and FOCUS Wales create MOU to strengthen the #WelshMusicAbroad partnership

Leading Welsh music development organisations FOCUS Wales and Tŷ Cerdd | Music Wales have today announced their new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance the international profile of Welsh music under the banner of #WelshMusicAbroad.

The agreement formalises a shared commitment to collaborate strategically – while maintaining their independent missions – to develop, promote and support international opportunities for Welsh artists across musical genres. The MOU takes forward a partnership approach forged in 2023 (along with Trac Cymru), with the aim of amplifying opportunities for Welsh artists.

A shared vision for global growth

Through this partnership, both organisations will work to:
Expand international showcasing opportunities for Welsh artists
Strengthen export across existing and emerging markets
Support artists working in both commercial and non-commercial pathways
Share market intelligence, networks and resources to maximise impact
Champion Wales as a dynamic music nation
Both organisations have demonstrated an increased focus on international working in recent years. FOCUS Wales supports emerging export ready artists to showcase at leading international music industry events, with partnerships with events including SXSW, ESNS, Reeperbahn, M for Montreal, BreakOut West, Zandari Festa, among many others. Tŷ Cerdd supports opportunities for music-creators through routes such as ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music), as well as leading the Welsh presence at WOMEX, Classical:NEXT and jazzahead!, in partnership with Wales Arts International.

This MOU recognises the breadth and diversity of Welsh music and seeks to ensure artists and industry professionals from every background and genre have access to meaningful international opportunities.

Andy Jones, FOCUS Wales Director and Head of Music, said: “This MOU reflects our shared commitment to continue to support and deliver high impact career development opportunities for our artists an industry wanting to work internationally. Through collaborating in this spirit, we’re excited for what this will mean for Welsh music industry professionals, who can benefit from our shared networks and experience moving forward.”

Deborah Keyser, Tŷ Cerdd Director, said: “International working has never been more important to Tŷ Cerdd and the music-creators we support. The partnership with FOCUS Wales has been developed over a number of years, with trust and collaboration at its core, and it’s a powerful message to our sector in Wales and to markets overseas. Many of the artists we are supporting at Tŷ Cerdd work outside of more apparent routes and pathways – eg contemporary classical composers and experimental artists – and the connections and platforming #WelshMusicAbroad can provide is invaluable to them.”

While both organisations will continue to deliver their own programmes and partnerships, the MOU underscores #WelshMusicAbroad’s framework for coordination – from tangible export routes, to shared artist development initiatives, from inbound exchange activity, to dissemination on best practice around sustainable touring.

By aligning efforts under #WelshMusicAbroad, the partnership aims to provide clarity for international industry partners and create stronger, more sustainable international relationships. Both partners are committed to working with other Wales-based organisations to deliver the best opportunities for artists.

Supporting artists at every stage

The initiative will focus on supporting artists at multiple career levels – from emerging talent seeking first export opportunities to established acts building long-term international strategies. The MOU also places emphasis on diversity, accessibility and cultural representation, ensuring that Welsh-language and bilingual artists, as well as those from underrepresented communities, are actively supported on the global stage.

The MOU signals an ongoing commitment to strengthening Wales’s international music footprint. By combining expertise, networks and shared ambition, FOCUS Wales and Tŷ Cerdd aim to create a more coordinated, resilient export ecosystem for Welsh music.

The work of FOCUS Wales and Tŷ Cerdd is supported by Arts Council of Wales (with Wales Arts International) and Creative Wales.

http://www.welshmusicabroad.com

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FOCUS Wales
FOCUS Wales is a not-for-profit organisation, established to provide the annual new music showcase event for the Welsh Music Industry. Our core work centres around the delivery of our international multi-venue showcase festival taking place in Wrexham each year, which places the music industry spotlight firmly on the emerging talent that Wales has to offer the world, alongside a selection of the best new acts from across the globe. FOCUS Wales 2026 will mark the festival’s 16th edition, and will welcome over 25,000 people to the town, building upon 2025′s record attendance across a jam-packed weekend of events. There’s no place like Wrexham during FOCUS Wales, as we showcase 250+ artists from across the world, fill out a variety of spaces and music venues, using 20 stages, and hosting a full schedule of interactive industry sessions, arts events, and film screenings, throughout the festival. In addition to the delivery of the FOCUS Wales festival, we also deliver a number of international FOCUS Wales events throughout the year.

Tŷ Cerdd | Music Wales
Music in Wales. Music of Wales.
Based at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, Tŷ Cerdd | Music Wales aims to bring Welsh music to audiences in Wales and globally, protect Welsh musical heritage, and drive the development of new Welsh music, across genres. Tŷ Cerdd supports music-creators through a range of talent development pathways, and has an in-house recording studio, two record labels (Tŷ Cerdd Records and Sionci) and a publishing imprint. The organisation also distributes Lottery funds on behalf of Arts Council of Wales, including a new traditional music scheme, Cronfa Tradd Fund.

Tŷ Cerdd | Music Wales
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff