Reprezent Radio sends out funding plea to keep broadcasting

NME

Brixton’s Reprezent Radio have sent out a funding plea in order to continue operating.

The radio station was founded in 2011, and has helped countless young people and musicians into the industry such as Stormzy, Jamz Supernova, Maya Jama, and many others. The station was also visited by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back in 2018.

Now, Reprezent have called for donations due to continual cuts to their funding. Not only will funders be supporting their training programmes and mentorship schemes, it will also go towards keeping them afloat as they’re soon to become a registered charity.

Becoming a registered charity will mean Reprezent can reach private funders, some of whom have already expressed their support; however, post-pandemic backlogs have meant their application has been delayed by two months longer than expected. Donations will therefore bridge this gap and help keep Reprezent alive until it becomes a charity.

Their aim is to raise £50,000, and they have already soared past their halfway target. You can donate here.

So far, Annie Mac has supported the campaign: “Reprezent Radio is so important for many reasons. The root of its importance is the fact that it holds a safe space for such a big range of young people learn and to grow and to develop their skills.

“It shouldn’t be underestimated the amount of people who started out at Reprezent that now work at much bigger radio stations or media companies. It’s easy to look at Reprezent like a stepping stone, but if it didn’t exist, it would be a door closed for so many young people.

“Places like Reprezent have to be funded and supported in order to keep those spaces safe. It benefits everyone for Reprezent Radio to stay around and stay thriving and surviving.

She then went on to thank the radio for the people and “all their work over the years”.

Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music, has also expressed his support for Reprezent, adding: “The concerning truth of the matter is that Reprezent is not an isolated case – there is a real crisis facing grassroots music.

“Like so many of the diverse projects we support, they are doing amazing work to bring emerging young creatives into industry jobs, creating a pipeline of talent so that we can enjoy a more inclusive and progressive music scene. It’s so sad to see the impact of funding cuts play out and it’s important that people are aware of the impact this will have. We wouldn’t accept this lack of grassroots investment in other areas such as sport, and so we mustn’t accept it in music.”

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