Isol-Aid launches mentorship program for emerging acts

Isol-Aid has teamed up with 99designs by Vistaprint to launch Isol-Aid Homegrown, a new initiative to provide creative and financial support for upcoming Australian and New Zealand artists.

The 16-week program will see a range of local acts invited to perform alongside established artists as part of Isol-Aid’s online music festival every Wednesday on TikTok, with nominations for the initiative opening from today.

25 successfully nominated acts will receive $2,000 worth of professionally designed art from the 99designs community, which artists can then use for merchandising and visual assets.

One artist will also be selected by a panel of judges to receive a $10,000 grant to facilitate further career growth, as well as a mentoring session from Isol-Aid Homegrown industry ambassador and Killing Heidi vocalist Ella Hooper.

Discussing her involvement in the program, Hooper expressed the need for similar creative support schemes in response to the impacts of the pandemic.

“I’m so excited to be able to join the Isol-Aid and 99designs teams in providing some of Australia and New Zealand’s most exciting emerging musicians with real, tangible support while the industry is very much in recovery mode,” Hooper said.

“It’s going to be incredible to see people getting around their favourite Homegrown artists as we come together to celebrate our local music community and help discover new talent.”

Isol-Aid founder Emily Ulman welcomed the beginning of a new era for the online music festival and thanked TikTok and 99designs by Vistaprint for their support of the program.

“This next chapter of Isol-Aid is particularly exciting,” Ulman remarked.

“It’s wonderful to be able to continue delivering incredible live local (Aus & NZ) talent to audiences on TikTok, regardless of their location or lockdown, and it’s extra amazing to now be able to offer Homegrown musicians the opportunity to collaborate with incredible designers who
can make their artistic visions for merch, tour posters, album art etc become a reality; to literally
grow.

“Isol-Aid is hugely grateful to 99designs by Vistaprint and TikTok for making this possible.”