Royal College of Music announces Accelerate awards for entrepreneurial graduate projects
Friday 18 September 2026
Six new creative projects devised by recent Royal College of Music (RCM) graduates have been awarded start-up funding by RCM Accelerate.
Established by the Royal College of Music Creative Careers Centre, RCM Accelerate supports graduating students to launch a new creative project, social enterprise or business idea to promote creativity and entrepreneurship. This year’s projects range from schemes to widen musical access and participation across the UK to an online publishing company for new, genre-defying compositions.
As well as receiving funding, those chosen will receive mentorship, support in developing core business skills and access to industry contacts.
Diana Roberts, Head of Creative Careers Centre and Entrepreneurship Tutor at the Royal College of Music, commented: 'Now in its fifth year, RCM Accelerate continues to support and champion the next generation of creative entrepreneurs. We are excited to work with this year's awardees, who are passionate, driven, and committed to transformative impact in their specialist fields.'
Previous recipients of RCM Accelerate continue to make waves across the music industry. Hannah Seymour, a 2025 RCM graduate and co-founder of EMPOWER: Women Changing Music said: 'RCM Accelerate is such a special award, not least because it offers a combination of so many fantastic things: financial support that not only funds project activity but enables sustainable growth, frequent mentoring and the support of the Royal College of Music. For EMPOWER, this has allowed us to take training courses in marketing strategy, develop our audience and build the capacity to invest time in partnership building. It has been such a positive experience and the consistent support from the RCM's Creative Careers Centre has been invaluable.'
Similarly, Stone Tung, co-founder and conductor of the Albion Orchestra and a 2025 RCM graduate, reflected on how the orchestra has benefitted from this support: 'Having the generous support of the RCM Accelerate scheme has really elevated my initiative and my career, not only on a financial level, but also in terms of practical advice.’
Introducing this year's projects:
AERA Ensemble is an artist-led chamber group featuring Emily Crook (clarinet), Isabella Todes (violin/viola) and Amiri Harewood (piano). Through imaginative programming and collaborative performance, the ensemble explores stories of identity, belonging and human experience, creating engaging musical events that combine artistic excellence with accessibility, curiosity and connection.
Created by percussionist Guy Courtie, NEWVIBE.UK is an online production and publishing company dedicated to new, genre-bending and curated compositions. Selling paperless sheet music, NEWVIBE.UK makes new works accessible to musicians around the world.
A chamber music collective of 12 musicians, the Vlinder Collective aims to create a new concert series programming lesser-known pieces. Organised by clarinettist Hannah Shimwell and featuring fellow RCM graduates and students Myrthe Egberink, Sanni Talvitie, Elif Cansever, Jamie Howe, Naomi Aires, Nathan Ng, Julia Klampfer, Molly Bielecki, Jon Churchett, Misha Kaploukhii and Stone Tung, the collective will run an accompanying outreach programme to benefit young people in the UK who face boundaries to accessing music education.
JustPlay Music, established by Joanne Skinner, is the only online adult-first music community, filling a gap in the music education landscape. Offering live sessions, expert workshops, on-demand resources and a peer community, it aims to encourage more adults to begin, or return to, their musical journey.
Former RCM Student Union President Leila Hooton’s Norkest has been founded with the mission to increase access to music for the people of Norfolk. It will involve running outreach workshops in local areas of deprivation and offering innovative musical experiences not yet available in the region.
Lyra across the Isles is a reed quintet consisting of Lizzy Russell (oboe), Jonathan Churchett (bassoon), Hannah Shimwell (bass clarinet), Paynor Tsate (saxophone) and Christian Hoddinott (clarinet). Through educational workshops and a touring concert series, they aim to establish the reed quintet as an exciting and accessible chamber music genre.
Learn more about the Creative Careers Centre, a world leading centre for career development offered to students and graduates at the Royal College of Music.
Main image: The AERA Ensemble, Guy Courtie (credit Ben Ealovega), Hannah Shimwell, Joanne Skinner, Leila Hooton and Lizzy Russell.
