Metallic Inc. have launched a new wave of granted though the Metallic Fund.
The fund was established in 2020 by London based global culture studio Metallic Inc., with the aim of supporting and elevating Black and POC talent throughout the creative industries. Designed to push back against endemic inequality, it was spearheaded by Metallic founders Grace Ladoja MBE and Alex Sossah.
The Metallic Fund has issued over £150,000 in funds directly to UK creatives, supporting the likes of key broadcasting platform No Signal, Clash favourite Louis Culture, Feben, and Vivendii.
The third iteration of the Metallic Fund is now open, and it is set to award over £60,000 to young Black and POC creatives across the arts. Growing in stature, the fund has hosted mentors from across the spectrum of the creative sectors, including such luminaries as Carlos Nazario, Martine Rose, Virgil Abloh, Dexter Navy, L52 PR, Caroline Simounescu Marin, Mark Krais, Romain Gavras, and Thomas Bird.
Talking about her experiences, former Metallic Fund winner Feben explains…
“The fund has been really important for someone like me cause I don’t really come from that sort of background. It really supported me when I needed it the most, but it wasn’t just the money, it was the mentorship as well. I had just graduated and needed guidance. I really appreciated the support…”
Meanwhile, rising UK jazz figure Ife Ogunjobi adds: “The Metallic Fund is amazing to me because it allows so many different creatives and artists to find their voice and take their passion forward”.
This year the Metallic Fund will be split into three tiers, including 1 Platinum grant (£20k), 2 x Gold grants (£10k), 3 x Silver grants (£5k) and 6x Bronze grants (£2500). To enter you must be between 18 – 34 years of age, a Black / POC creative who lives and works in the UK.
Speaking on the fund, Grace says: “Community is the DNA of Metallic. Everything about our company revolves around that so having The Fund support the community is really important. We want The Fund to be visible to the community outside of the people that know us personally, the community that are in the UK doing amazing things and want to get support from a company that is Black owned and has an amazing network around it that can nurture them through mentorship”.
Commenting on the work achieved by the Metallic Fund, Alex says: “We wanted to create a Fund that looks like us. It was vital to have the Fund be a project and a program that allows people to identify with us. The Fund has always been about bringing people together, collaborating and supporting the next generation of Black/POC creative talent”.
Watch a video showcasing the work done by the Metallic Fund below.