Saffron has opened applications for the next round of its EMERGING programme, a year-long mentoring initiative for Black women and gender-diverse music creators.
Set to begin in September 2026, the programme will support three artists with a creative retreat, music industry training and a bursary to fund new music creation.
To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Reside in South West England for the full programme duration (September 2026 to August 2027)
- Identify as a woman, non-binary, trans, intersex or gender non-conforming
- Be Black or of Black heritage, including mixed heritage
The application deadline is 6 p.m. on Friday, 31 July. Further details are available on Saffron’s website.
Previous participants include producer and session bassist Marla Kether, who released her debut EP ‘All That We Have’ through Saffron’s label arm in 2023, and Bristol-based DJ, producer and artist Grove.
Saffron has run the artist development programme for several years. In 2023, the collective launched a fundraising campaign to continue its work advancing gender equality across the music industry.
