Northern jazz artists are invited to apply for Jazz North’s live touring support programme, Northern Line.
Thursday, October 02, 2025
Northern Line is now open for applications until 12 noon on Friday 7th November 2025. Press release attached.
We have received the following press release;
Northern jazz artists are invited to apply for Jazz North’s live touring support programme, Northern Line
The selected cohort will receive an 18 month programme of 1:1 mentoring, a showcase at Manchester Jazz Festival 2026 and a bursary to support their live touring costs
Northern Line is now open for applications until 12 noon on Friday 7th November 2025
Jazz North, development agency for northern jazz, has been boosting artists’ careers since its inception in 2012. Northern Line is the flagship development programme that takes their live touring careers to the next level.
The programme, which has supported ninety bands and hundreds of musicians since it launched in 2013, is seeking the next five artists to join its thriving roster of live touring artists.
Northern Line ensures gigs can happen, despite the ever changing landscape.
Chris Bye, Jazz North CEO, says:
“For over a decade Northern Line has celebrated the most exciting new jazz coming through the northern scene. Once again Jazz North throws open the doors and invites the most innovative, engaging, subversive and sensational to step up.
Northern Line not only offers significant financial support, expert mentoring and critical showcasing opportunities, but also serves as recognition regionally, nationally and internationally that an artist is an essential one to watch.”
Northern Line offers northern jazz and jazz-adjacent artists and bands intensive 1:1 support, industry upskilling and a live touring bursary through the following strands:
A cash bursary, scaled according to the size of their ensemble and proposed touring ambitions.
An artist development plan for targeting promoters, festivals and venues, helping them to perform in new places and build audiences.
A showcase at Manchester Jazz Festival on Sunday 17 May 2026, with promoter networking.
1-1 support from the Jazz North team to help them achieve their goals.
Priority access to Jazz North workshops and events focussed on specialist areas (eg marketing, businesses advice)
Past Northern Line artist, Danni Skerrit (Dirty Freud) said:
“Being on Jazz North has been massive for us as a band. It’s taken us from being a band making good music to an outfit with some direction. We always knew how we wanted to sound, but doing this has given us the confidence to push on. Without this support […] we would not have had the time and space to create the music which really represents our sound, this would not have been possible without [Northern Line].”
Northern Line artists are selected through an open application process, shortlisted by an advisory panel of music industry experts. For this 12th round, the panel includes Rianne Thompson (The Glasshouse ICM), Aisling Doherty (Serious), Josh Aitman (marketing manager at We Out Here), Thomas Rees (Radio Producer for Soweto Kinch’s Round Midnight), David Porter (Hull Jazz), Bob Walker (Scarborough Jazz) and Ni Maxine (previous Northern Line artist, programmer at The Wombat).
Successful applicants will perform at the Northern Line Showcase at manchester jazz festival (mjf) on Sunday 17th May 2026 in front of a public audience and invited music industry guests.
mjf is the city’s longest-running music festival, championing regional artists, new commissions, European collaborations and musical innovation. The festival celebrated its 30th edition in 2025. Next year’s festival will take place from 15-24th May 2026 at venues around the city.
Steve Mead, mjf’s Artistic Director, says:
“Jazz North’s Northern Line Showcase is now a regular and highly-anticipated event during mjf: celebrating, as it does, the latest roster of specially selected northern artists as part of our free opening weekender at First Street. For artists, it’s a chance to perform in front of a curious, listening crowd, and for audiences, it’s a memorable afternoon of discovery, surprise and energy.”
Northern Line opens for applications at midday on Wednesday 1st October. Applications close at midday on Friday 7th November 2025.
Visit http://www.jazznorth.org/northern-line to find out more and apply.
About Northern Line
Northern Line is an 18-month programme that enables jazz and jazz-inspired artists living in the North to upscale their live touring development, with a cash bursary to subsidise gigs and reach new audiences.
Open for all artists and bands to apply, successful applicants also receive a showcase at mjf, a bespoke artist development plan, 1-1 career advice, and priority access to specialist workshops and events.
Northern Line has supported 90 bands and hundreds of musicians since its inception in 2013. Northern Line ensures gigs can happen, despite the ever changing landscape.
The programme supports northern artists to reach the next stage of their live performance career and meet their ambitions through targeted 1:1 support and network development.
5 bands from jazz and jazz-related genres are selected each year through an open application and rigorous selection process by a panel of independent industry experts from across the UK.
About Jazz North
Jazz North is the Strategic Development Agency for jazz in the North of England.
Supported since its inception in 2012 by Arts Council England, Jazz North has a national and international reputation in Artist Development, Sector Support and Learning & Participation.
A registered charity that has developed and supported hundreds of artists, managers, venues, festivals and promoters over the years - Jazz North has a proud record of working with and on behalf of the northern jazz scene.
About manchester jazz festival (mjf)
mjf is the city’s longest-running music festival, championing regional artists, new commissions, European collaborations and musical innovation. The festival celebrated its 30th edition in 2025. Next year’s festival will take place from 15-24th May 2026 at venues around the city.
mjf is the only UK winner of the Europe Jazz Network Award for Adventurous Programming, the UK’s first festival Keychange signatory, supporting gender balance across stages, and was the first Founder Member of the Black Lives in Music charter. An Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, mjf also receives support through GMCA’s Culture Fund and Manchester City Council’s Culture Partnerships Grants programme.