Here’s a pair of interviews with the winners of the Autumn Umbro Industries competition, who both walked away with £5,000 to spend on their projects this weekend. We start with Ben, Joe and Lowell from south Manchester music collective Mind On Fire…

How did you think your pitch to the panel went?

‘We settled down once we got in there. About five minutes beforehand we started getting really nervous! But the panel were really friendly and welcome so that helped. We’ve all been up on stage as musicians and DJs, but it was a very different way of performing.’

What is Mind On Fire all about?

‘Mind On Fire is a collective of musicians and DJs, and we’ve been putting on not-for-profit events around Manchester for the last five years. At first it was just a way of getting gigs for everyone we knew. We did it all ourselves, from booking the sound guy to performing on stage. From a very early age we thought there was a lot of stuff that went under the radar, and we wanted to provide a platform for these artists to play. We put on all genres, it’s a real mixed back, with the emphasis on the local.’

What do you plan to spend the money on?

‘We want to develop the collective into a label, with a series of vinyl releases next year. We have a website where we can digitally release music, but the money will allow us to set up as a label that releases vinyl. The idea is to release six singles that feature an international, established artist on one side, and a local Manchester band on the b-side. We want the visual element to be really big, the artwork and the look of everything is also very important to us. It’s important that this is also a sustainable project for us, so we can keep on releasing records into the future.’

What do you think made you stand out?

‘We’ve done a lot of work with other groups already, and if we get the money, we’d like to think that we can bring a lot of other people into these ideas as well. We can involve a lot of different elements of Manchester’s creative community. There’s also the sustainability of the project; we’d like to continue it for years to come.’

What effect do you think Umbro Industries will have on Manchester’s creative community?

‘It can only be a good thing really. It’s highlighted how many creative people there are in Manchester, and it’ll hopefully provide a platform for collaboration as well. A lot of people here do things with their own money, so if Umbro can provide a bit of money to allow them to take these ideas further, that’d be great. It’ll open doors for people to bring out those big ideas that they’ve maybe had shut away in the cupboard for a while. It’s offering the resources to make these ideas a reality.’

And here’s Hannah, Ryan and Jade from Same Teens…

How did you feel about pitching to the panel?

‘It was terrifying! It was one of the scariest things we’ve ever had to do. But all the people involved are established and well known for what they do, so they know what they’re talking about.’

What is Same Teens all about?

‘Same Teens is a collective of people who take the creative energy of young people here in Manchester and try to channel it into gigs, design, fashion and music. We all met at a party, and we were bored at being underage and unable to see all the bands that we loved. We set up a club night, and from there it’s progressed to include gigs, fanzines, all sorts. We’ve worked with Tim Burgess, the Mystery Jets and a ton of other bands; we put a night on at the Manchester International Festival and we’ve just been a part of In The City here in Manchester.’

Why did you decide to apply for Umbro Industries?

‘We thought it would be a really good opportunity to move things forward for us, and to expand into areas that we’ve previously been excluded from, because we’re currently funding everything out of our own pockets.’

What do you plan to spend the money on?

‘We’ll be able to print and distribute our fanzine for a whole year. And we’d also be able to get some studio space where all these creative individuals could hang out. Giving these young people space where they can work would be great. We’l also be able to carry on setting up gigs and events, but on a bigger scale than before.
The effect will be huge – it’ll really help to move us on to another level, it’s just a fantastic opportunity. For Manchester, with all the history in the city here that’s great, but for the younger people that are coming through, they need to have the opportunity to use their passion on something.’

Why do you think you stood out?

‘Because we’re all about giving other people a chance. We’ve been doing it because we love what we do, and also because we really want to help other people. Winning is brilliant not just for us, but for all the young people here in Manchester who are part of what we do.’

What effect do you think Umbro Industries could have in Manchester?

‘It’s an amazing opportunity that they’re giving people to further the work that they’re doing. It’s also good for bringing together all these different pockets of creativity around Manchester, and getting them communicating with each other. And obviously in the middle of a recession, it’s great that funding is being provided.’