The project helping South Asian musicians turn talent into careers

In the heart of Bristol’s creative scene, a grassroots programme is nurturing the next wave of South Asian musical talent.

Blending mentorship with practical industry training, it’s giving South Asian artists a leg-up to carve out space in an industry where their voices are too often overlooked.

Backed by £100,000 of Arts Council England funding, Emerge was developed by the Bristol-based Asian Arts Agency and first launched in 2022 as one strand of a wider initiative called Breaking Barriers.

The first Emerge project, Emerge 1, specifically targeted early-career musicians, a stage when guidance is often scarce and the creative industry can feel impossible to navigate.

Following its success, the Agency has now launched Emerge 2.

This second cohort supports eight artists at the outset of their musical careers, offering bursaries, mentorship and access to vital networks to help them build confidence, develop their practice and take meaningful steps into the music industry.

The Emerge 1 cohort at a Real World Studio session 

Gurpreet Bachu, the Emerge programme manager for Asian Arts Agency, proudly explains how crucial Emerge has proved in nurturing talent.

“We have had some really great examples from Emerge 1, of how these artists have developed.

“One participant has signed a music deal, they are releasing music and others are performing at big, well-known festivals and gigs.”

For Jaswinder (Jas) Singh, director of Asian Arts Agency since 2006, the need for this kind of early-stage support has only grown in recent years.

He explains how the industry’s lack of access points and structural knowledge often impacts South Asian artists more acutely than their white British counterparts.

“A lot of brilliant South Asian musicians who don’t know how the industry works, e.g. how to make a funding application, or talk to the right people, were hit especially hard during lockdown.

“A lot of that support has now disappeared.”

The eight musicians selected for Emerge 2

Jas continues: “During that time, I saw evidence of art and cultural companies closing, specifically from Black and South Asian backgrounds.”

Emerge 2 now includes expert-led masterclasses and webinars, alongside bursaries, with sessions covering marketing, royalties and copyright, pitching and monetising music.

“It’s crucial for that pipeline of talent,” Jas says, “rather than just inviting artists to play gigs and events.”

But the programme is also about something bigger. Jas describes the Asian Arts Agency as playing a vital “gap-filling” role in the sector, stepping in where government funding and public knowledge fall short for South Asian creatives.

“Our role is to share the challenges with the sector and show why it is essential to invest in the community,” he says.

“It is essential for specialist companies like us to lead on this regionally, nationally and locally.”

Emerge participants are led by industry experts

For Gurpreet, this work also extends to data-gathering and challenging current imbalances in the industry.

“There is a lack of data around South Asian music audiences in the UK. Programmes like this help with collecting data, which can then be used to present and gain funding in the future.”

When asked what representation looks like in the music industry, Gurpreet notes that the most important pillars are community support and visibility.

This community support is precisely what the agency’s Bristol base has provided, enabling programmes like Emerge to flourish.

Jas explains that his two decades of experience promoting South Asian arts in Bristol have been overwhelmingly positive: “Bristolians are great at going out and listening to different types of music and being welcoming.

“We have done hundreds of events in Bristol, and it is a very diverse community; our gigs do not have exclusively South Asian audiences, they represent the demographics in the city.”

Emerge artists come from a range of musical backgrounds

Gurpreet and Jas stress that being based in the South West has expanded access for artists outside of London, where most similar opportunities are concentrated.

Reflecting on the success of Emerge, and the agency’s wider push to influence policy and representation, Jas sees this as a critical time to support South Asian creatives.

For Jas, the agency’s work resonates far beyond the studio or stage as he warns that the fight for representation is becoming harder, not easier.

“There are challenges there that need to be addressed. We are now hearing a different narrative from when the BLM protests took place.

“With the things happening in the US, and the anti-immigrant rhetoric in the UK, this is not just about the music community; it’s a wider issue.”

All photos: Asian Arts Agency

Maelo Manning is reporting on the South Asian community as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media.

This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from The Nisbets Trust.

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