The team behind a community project amplifying opportunities for local music artists and technicians is celebrating a huge boost thanks to National Lottery funding through Arts Council England.

Honey Box Live hosts new and emerging local musicians at King Street Studios in Newcastle under Lyme, who perform live from the studio in front of an intimate audience. The gigs are concurrently recorded, live-streamed and subsequently hosted on their YouTube channel.

Now the team has secured close to £30,000 to kick start a series of performances spanning the home studios at King Street, Blue Note Nightclub in Derby, 2Funky Music Complex in Leicester, and Wolverhampton Arts Centre.  

One of the three founders and Co-producers behind the initiative Pete Herbert said, "This is fantastic recognition for the impact the Honey Box initiative has made, and we are thrilled with the Arts Council England funding, which will allow us to expand this showcasing of local talent beyond the confines of the studio, and help spark it off in other locations.

"Growing, nurturing and encouraging emerging talent is so rewarding and we can't wait to get started on Series 9 of Honey Box, which will incorporate this new venture." 

It's acknowledged that small, accessible live music venues are the gateway to musicians developing their skills, creativity and learning.

And since Honey Box launched in 2016, it's been delivered by a team of industry professionals, voluntarily sharing their expertise to bolster the local music scene.

Last year, thanks to investment from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Honey Box hit the road to connect emerging artists with audiences further afield and get the hang of touring.

The gigs also provided the opportunity to train up the next generation of live music producers and technicians, as they were exposed to the challenges and technology involved behind the scenes of a touring live broadcast. 

From the success of this concept, the team forged ahead with a bold new proposition to spark this initiative in similar cities to amplify opportunities for local musicians and technicians across the Midlands.

Honey Box will also host a development day at each other new gig locations with a mix of practical workshops alongside social media and music marketing with guest speakers.

For details of the Honey Box Live: Amplifying Grassroots Talent project click here.