The Ivors Academy Joins Forces With Generator To Bring Groundbreaking Music Diploma To The North

Creative talent development agency Generator, a mainstay in the UK’s music, creative and cultural scene for over three decades is entering into a new partnership with THE IVORS ACADEMY, the membership organisation behind the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, to deliver a number of scholarship places on a new, innovative diploma – TheWRD.  

Developed and delivered by industry experts using cutting edge tech, TheWRD from The Ivors Academy brings together music industry leaders, expert educators and deep learning AI to offer career-defining arts education to everyone, everywhere. From entrepreneurial modules to sessions on releasing music, marketing, live events, and touring, the qualification is designed to equip artists, musicians and creative entrepreneurs with the skills to forge a successful career in the creative industries.  

The partnership is set to be launched at an event on 10th December at the beautifully refurbished Common Room of the North Lecture Theatre along from Central Station. Ivor Novello scholarships will be available and TheWRD Admissions team will be at the event to help you fast track your application. Sign up for the event for free here

Generator has supported Ivor Novello award winning artist Sam Fender throughout his music career, providing some of the very first festival slots Fender played as an emerging musician in 2014, alongside developing other industry heavyweights like Du Blonde, Nadine Shah and Lanterns on the Lake. Sam won an Ivor earlier this year for Seventeen Going Under in the Best Song Musically and Lyrically category. Generator provides a number of fully funded talent development programmes throughout the year, from its popular First Notes course to producing one of the North’s biggest new music festivals; Generator Live, which artists are able to apply to play through an open call application process. 

The organisation also operates the Generator Union creative industries networking group and will soon launch its Music Industry Advisory Group formed of industry titans who will be available to artists and creatives for exclusive 1:1 advice and support.  

The diploma, for learners aged 19+, is delivered through a ground-breaking immersive education platform and regular group sessions, with access to additional in-person workshops in local and national creative spaces across the UK.  

The qualification follows GSCEs and provides access to higher education or work. While students have access to face-to-face workshops and field trips, 100% of this cost-effective, UCAS-accredited, course can be completed online if students prefer. This responds to the needs of many people who can’t start or develop their career in music and the creative industries because of where they live, their background, finances, and lack of contacts and self-belief.   

Students learn online and in person at their own pace and it takes up to two years to complete. The skills and knowledge that students develop will create new opportunities whether they stay in education, start a career in music – in front of or behind the mic – or in another industry.  

Students at TheWRD will join The Ivors Academy to access its supportive community and opportunities.   

Bringing TheWRD to the North East will unlock opportunities for creatives, musicians and artists right across the region and will allow learners to plug directly into an industry historically confined to the UK’s largest cities like London. By expanding to provide access to the immense talent throughout the UK and by offering an innovative remote learning approach, TheWRD is set to have a huge impact and help deliver on one of Generator’s core aims of establishing a sustainable music industry in the area. It marks a significant commitment from The Ivors Academy to increasing diversity within the music business and amplifying unheard voices from across the UK.  

Ian Mack, CEO TheWRD from The Ivors Academy said: 

“We are excited that our partnership with Generator will establish new opportunities for talented people from the North East of England to break into the music business and creative industries. Talent is everywhere, so in every part of the UK we need regional and national partnerships to untap this potential by developing entrepreneurial skills to establish successful creative careers.” 

Speaking about the partnership, Newcastle native Imogen Williams, under-25 Board Director of The Ivors Academy said: 

“I grew up in Newcastle and I champion any motive to open doors so that a creative career isn’t the preserve of a privileged few. I’ve studied TheWRD from The Ivors Academy and it’s a real game-changer. It empowers students with knowledge straight from the music industry and grants invaluable connections. I’m delighted that we’re bringing TheWRD to the North East.” 

Under its recently appointed CEO Mick Ross and a largely new senior team, Generator is set to build on its 30+ years supporting the next generation of creative talent with a clear vision, mission and set of values which will inform every aspect of the organisation’s work, from its approach to staff wellbeing to external partnerships and its year-round programming. The new partnership with the Ivors Academy will bring investment and opportunities into the region that wouldn’t normally be available.  

Generator’s CEO Mick Ross, who took up post earlier this year said: 

“Our partnership with The Ivors Academy demonstrates Generator’s commitment to developing a sustainable music industry in the North East that ensures access for all. We are delighted to be bringing TheWRD to the region, securing ground breaking opportunities for North East residents to develop their careers through this industry led and innovative qualification. This is the first in many exciting initiatives that Generator will be launching alongside national partners, to forge connections and provide new pathways for talented people across the area,” 

“We’re looking forward to working with the hugely passionate team at The Ivors Academy in the coming years to help drive forward our mutual aims for the industry as a whole,”  

The partnership is set to feed into Generator’s wider body of work and programmes, which Generator’s Head of Creative Development Helen Walkinshaw is keen to explore: 

“These scholarships will create pathways into the music industry without the need to navigate gatekeepers and they connect North East talent to the music industry in ways that have previously not been accessible. At Generator North East we are passionate about building an accessible and sustainable infrastructure so that each individual’s creative development journey can continue to flourish beyond the support we provide. 

This partnership with TheWRD from The Ivors Academy will put a spotlight on the North’s creative community and it enables us to continue to develop that talent. The qualifications gained through their scholarships will elevate people and plug the gaps currently identified in the region; subsequently ensuring sustainability is achieved,” 

Howard Monk – Chief Education and Learning Officer at TheWRD adds:  

“It is crucial that all people find the support to develop their creative talents irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity or geographical location. If learners want to continue their studies at university, we have pathways in place for them to go on to some of the most exciting courses in the country. The transferrable and meta skills we include, mean that their options remain incredibly broad, across the creative industries and beyond. Generator has an amazing reach and a long history of supporting talent to flourish. We look forward to working with them to help develop the next generation of music managers, artists, promoters, crew, agents, tour managers… the list goes on.”