Tramlines scholarship on offer for new music talent

Tramlines attracts crowds of 40,000 people every day for the three-day festival

A new scholarship to support up-and-coming musical talent has been announced by the organisers of Tramlines Festival.

The Sheffield event, headlined this year by Paolo Nutini, Jamie T and Snow Patrol, revealed details of the opportunity in collaboration with WaterBear Music College.

The bursary would cover tuition costs for a three-year course at Sheffield College with the aim of "empowering aspiring musicians with top-tier education and opportunities", a spokesperson said.

It comes as festival bosses also said a £5,000 donation to plant trees at Hillsborough Park where the event is being held from 26 to 28 July

Both initiatives were announced ahead of the festival starting just eight days before the 2024 event is due to begin.

Operations director Timm Cleasby said the scholarship "goes right into the core value of the festival".

"It’s a chance to give back and build up the next generation of artists right here in Sheffield, where music is in our DNA."

According to the WaterBear website, a BA (Hons) Professional Music (Electronic Music) degree currently costs £9,250 a year.

Heavy rain led to much of the grassed areas of Hillsborough Park becoming muddy

In 2023 heavy rain caused damage to large swathes of the park, requiring substantial repairs.

The new trees will be planted during the winter tree planting season following Tramlines 2024 with guidance from the Community Forestry team at Sheffield City Council, festival bosses said.

It is being done in addition to an annual £10,000 fee towards improvements in the park for the next five years following the damage.

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