Abbey Road Scholarship and Work Placement Programme for Young Black British Students

Abbey Road is delighted to announce the launch of the Abbey Road Scholarship and work placement programme it is launching for young black British students.

The programme, which begins in 2021, will cover the full cost of the course fees and contribute towards living expenses for two black British students to study on our Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering.

Upon successful completion of the course, the two graduates will be offered a year-long trainee engineering role within Abbey Road Studios, providing the opportunity to put all they’ve learnt into practice at one of the world’s most prestigious and historic recording studios.

Isabel Garvey, Managing Director, Abbey Road Studios, shares her ambition for the Scholarship: “I’m thrilled that this programme will create new opportunities for aspiring young engineers by giving them not just the educational foundation, but also the benefit of practical experience working with the best artists, composers and engineers in the industry. Abbey Road has always been about training the best studio talent, so it’s brilliant that the Scholarship will help diversify the next generation of engineering professionals from the ground up.”

Mentorship from Singer-Songwriter Raye

Alongside the Scholarship and work placement, Garvey is keen to engage artists to play an integral role in the students’ journey. Raye, a British singer-songwriter from London, signed to Polydor Records, was keen to get actively involved and offer support and guidance as part of the programme. She will be part of the selection committee who will choose the successful applicants and will provide ongoing mentorship to the young people throughout their time at Abbey Road. 

Raye explained why she wanted to be part of the programme: “I’m so proud to be part of this brilliant initiative to encourage more black students down the path of music production and audio engineering. Black producers and engineers are under-represented in the professional recording environment and we need to address that. During my time at The BRIT School, I learned how important music education is and it’s been instrumental in helping me get further in life. 

“This is such an incredible opportunity to obtain the highest levels of technical training at one of the world’s most iconic recording studios! I’m very much looking forward to meeting and working with the successful applicants and being a part of your amazing journey!”

Luca Barassi, CEO of Abbey Road Institute said: “Our ethos has always been to expand the range of diverse creative and technical minds aspiring to work in professional audio. The new Scholarship will help this in two ways: by funding students who may not have previously been able to join the programme, and by creating more awareness of the audio industry for younger generations who may now find their goal of becoming a music professional more achievable.”

Apply for the Abbey Road Scholarship Programme

To apply for the Abbey Road Scholarship Programme you will need to submit applications to both the Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering and the Abbey Road Scholarship Programme by the 19 February 2021. Applicants who meet the entry criteria for both the course and the scholarship will be shortlisted and interviewed with the Scholarship selection panel and two successful candidates will be chosen.

The Scholarship will cover the full cost of the course fees for the Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering at Abbey Road Institute London as well as a contribution towards living costs for the year, based on financial need. This is designed to ensure that the students have the support they need should they be relocating from another part of the UK.

Our admissions team at Abbey Road Institute London are on hand to offer support and guidance with the Scholarship application process please get in touch if you have any questions. The successful applicants will be announced at the end of March 2021 and will enrol in June 2021.

For full details on the Abbey Road Scholarship Programme, eligibility criteria and to apply, visit our Abbey Road Scholarship page.