The Great Escape X CD Baby: Artist Applications
Artist applications are now open for The Great Escape 2026, in partnership with CD Baby. Independent artists can apply for free and gain access to exciting opportunities.
MU SUMMIT
Applications Open: Join the MU Residency Talent Development Programme
A 16-week talent development residency connecting emerging creatives with mentorship, industry knowledge, real-world experiences and opportunities to take their next step.
Having talent is one thing. Knowing what to do with it is another. For emerging artists and creatives, developing the music is only part of the journey. Understanding the industry, building a professional identity, developing the right network and knowing how to turn creativity into genuine opportunities can be just as important. That’s where MU Residency comes in!
Created by Musically Unorthodox, the Residency is a 16-week talent development programme designed to help emerging creatives move from potential towards professional practice.
Rather than approaching development like a traditional classroom course, residents take part in a journey built around six stages:
DISCOVER → DEVELOP → CREATE → CONNECT → SHOWCASE → LAUNCH
Across the residency, participants will explore their creative direction, develop their skills and professional identity, produce original work, connect directly with industry, showcase what they can do and build a pathway towards their next opportunity.
More Than a Course
MU Residency has been designed around a simple idea: young creatives need more than information.
- They need access.
- Access to people.
- Access to spaces.
- Access to knowledge.
- Access to networks.
And, importantly, opportunities to put what they learn into practice.That’s why industry engagement is built directly into the Residency.
Alongside ongoing support from the programme’s mentors, residents will take part in masterclasses, workshops, industry talks and visits, providing opportunities to meet and learn from professionals working across today’s music and creative industries.
Industry support for the programme includes experiences with organisations such as Since ’93, Pathways Into Music and BBC Introducing.
Residents will have opportunities ranging from visiting Since ’93’s offices within Sony Music and meeting their regional BBC Introducing team, to developing their understanding of music rights, releasing music, live performance and building sustainable careers.
Six Stages of Development
The 16 weeks are structured around six interconnected stages.
01: DISCOVER
Find your voice and creative direction.
02: DEVELOP
Build your skills, confidence and professional identity.
03: CREATE
Turn ideas into original work and develop your creative practice.
04: CONNECT
Learn directly from industry and start building meaningful professional relationships.
05: SHOWCASE
Present your work, skills and creative identity professionally.
06: LAUNCH
Build a clear pathway towards your next opportunity.
The aim isn’t simply to leave with more knowledge. Residents should leave with work they’ve created, people they’ve met, greater confidence in their abilities and a clearer understanding of what comes next.
Learn From People Doing It
Residents will also be supported by a multidisciplinary mentor team bringing experience from across music, broadcasting, production, filmmaking, entrepreneurship, live events and artist development.
That includes professionals working as artists, producers, DJs, BBC radio presenters, vocalists, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, educators and event promoters.
The idea is to expose residents to different routes through the creative industries rather than presenting one definition of what a successful creative career should look like.
Because today’s creative career rarely follows one straight line.
Built Through Conversation
The Residency is also part of a much bigger Musically Unorthodox vision.
Musically Unorthodox was established by social enterprise In Music In Media to create more relevant routes into creative development for young people, particularly those whose cultures, experiences and creative practices aren’t always adequately represented within traditional education.
The long-term vision is to build an ecosystem around four interconnected stages:
Youth Access → Transformation → Industry Access → Social Return
The Residency represents an important bridge between Transformation and Industry Access.
Its development was also influenced by conversations emerging from the Musically Unorthodox Summit, which brings young people, education, community organisations, local stakeholders and the creative industries into the same space to explore how better pathways can be created.
Rather than allowing those conversations to end when the Summit finishes, the Residency helps turn some of those ideas and relationships into action.
Could You Be One of the Next MU Residents?
If you’re an emerging creative who is serious about developing your craft, understanding the industry and taking the next step towards a professional creative career, MU Residency could be that next step.
You don’t need to have everything figured out, that’s part of the journey. What matters is having the creativity, commitment and willingness to develop.
Your talent is the starting point. Where you take it next is what matters.
Find Out More & Apply
Explore the programme, meet the mentors, discover the Industry Network and find out how to apply through the dedicated MU Residency platform.
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