Core unrestricted funding as Root73 continues its journey to self-sustainability (360G-zing-134)

Root 73 is an artist development platform, a fully equipped recording studio, and a record label, managed by a group of young people born and raised in Hackney. During Covid-19 lockdown the team released their community project "The Silhouettes Project", a platform to shine a light on the next generation of up and coming Hip-Hop, Soul and Jazz artists in the UK. It provides an open space - a recording studio and live venue (located within the Total Refreshment Centre in Hackney, London) - where MCs, singers, musicians and producers can connect and create. The project achieved national recognition on BBC Radio 1, and the project's album album has over 3m streams, more than 500 vinyl sold, and more than 50k views on YouTube. Root 73's approach places heavy emphasis on community activity and on the social importance of working together for a common goal, while also bringing together all the necessary elements needed to help artists break into the music industry. Root73 is largely self-funded by community events, paid sessions at their studio, and crowd-funders, with heavy reliance on unpaid volunteering. This funding is to toward the core costs of securing paid expertise, as the platform increases its sources of revenue, from the record label, events and studio hire. This will also support the team in replicating their disruptive model in other communities around the country.