Playback Creates announces Homegrown as UK’s first major South Asian music development push for new talent

Highlights:

• New platform aims to support South Asian creatives in Wolverhampton and the Black Country
• Homegrown will mentor up to ten emerging music artists aged 16–30
• Funded by Arts Council England with Punch Records as a key partner
• Final live showcase scheduled for March 2026

Playback Creates has launched its new Homegrown programme, a move the organisation says will change access and opportunity for young British South Asian artists. The primary focus is South Asian music development, and there’s a clear effort to create space for voices that have not been supported enough in the industry. It comes at a time when representation and career routes are still a challenge for many new acts.

Homegrown marks a new moment for South Asian music talent in the UK Instagram/playbackcreates

Why the South Asian music development push matters

Playback Creates said the idea came from years of hearing the same thing from young musicians: talent exists, but the pathway does not. The Homegrown programme will run in Wolverhampton and the Black Country. Both areas have a big South Asian population, but chances for young creatives have not been strong for years.

What the Homegrown programme offers emerging artists

The plan is to pick up to ten artists, aged 16 to 30. Those selected will spend time working in APS Studios. This is not classroom theory, but actual recording, producing and building tracks with people who already work in the business. They will build and record their own track, then finish it properly, mixed, mastered, and ready to release.

There is also practical training built into the programme. Sessions on writing, performing live, planning a career and understanding how the music system actually works day to day. The programme wraps with a live showcase event at Vaal & Vaal in March 2026. There are no fees and no paywall. Playback Creates says access and inclusion were part of the plan from the first draft.

Who can apply and how it works

Playback Creates is opening applications to anyone from South Asian communities across Wolverhampton and the Black Country. The selection panel will look for originality, commitment, and potential. The team said genre will not be a barrier. They are open to everything, from Bhangra, pop, grime, hip hop, fusion or something that does not yet fit into a tidy box. Applicants will be asked to submit examples of work and fill out an online form. A monitoring form is also required.

What Playback Creates says about the future

Founder and artistic director Dr Harpreet Jandu said the launch marks a beginning, not a one-off. “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,” they said. “Homegrown is here to change that.” The expectation now is that the programme will become a regular fixture, and possibly a model for other UK cities looking at how to support the next wave of British South Asian music talent. Applications close on Wednesday 10 December 2025 at 5pm.