Upstream gives the music and design sector financial and artistic impulse

Upstream was launched on Saturday, January 19, 2019, the pop-up investment scheme of the Performing Arts Fund, the Creative Industries Fund NL and Sena. Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven (OCW) gave the go-ahead for the new regulation during Eurosonic Noorderslag.

Upstream is focused on the career development of pop artists and supports innovative artistic formats and collaborations within Dutch pop music. Talent development, professionalization, innovation and experiment are central to the scheme. From 2019 up to and including 2021, 900,000 euro is available per year.

'Upstream gives the music sector a strong financial impulse and will broaden and strengthen the industry and ensure that Dutch musicians are internationally stronger. Together, the Podiumkunsten Fund and Sena have succeeded in developing an appropriate instrument for the pop sector that underlines the importance of artistic development, 'says Henriëtte Post, director-director of the Performing Arts Fund' The collaboration between designers from the creative industry and artists is central to the scheme of the Stimulation Fund. Together they can add an extra dimension to (live) music. This can be an exceptional live scenography, an interactive installation or a music game that allows the audience to experience the music in a new, more intense way ', adds Syb Groeneveld, director and director of the Creative Industries Fund.

Upstream consists of two parts
Upstream is divided into two parts: the Performing Arts Fund is responsible for the part of the regulation that aims to support individual artists, while the Creative Industries Fund encourages innovative collaborations and crossovers between different creative sectors. Both sub-schemes can be found on upstreamgrants.nl.

Upstream: Music offers artists in pop music the opportunity to invest in the development of their careers. The arrangement is intended for artists who have been busy for some time and have a solid foundation. A contribution from Upstream: Music can be used to make a leap to more audiences and also more income. This sub-scheme is implemented by the Performing Arts Fund and co-financed by Sena.

Upstream: Music x Design supports projects in which artists work together with designers and creators on new applications of design, visual culture and technology within music. The scheme is intended for projects that will also be shared with a wide audience. Upstream: Music x Design gives both a boost to the music and design sector. This partial arrangement is carried out by the Creative Industries Stimulation Fund.

Financing
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has made 600,000 euros available per year for Upstream: 300,000 euros for the Creative Industries Fund NL and 300,000 euros for the Performing Arts Fund. Sena is making another 300,000 euros available for the scheme at the Performing Arts Fund. 'Through a joint effort of the performing artists and producers, united within Sena, we contribute to this new stimulus initiative for Dutch pop music. With this we hope to bring the careers of professional musicians to the next level', says Michiel ten Veen, member of the Council of Affiliates of Sena. The total budget for Upstream comes with the addition of Sena at 900,000 euros.