Studio Monkey Shoulder Launches Rs11 Lakh Music Grant For India’s Independent Music Communities

Studio Monkey Shoulder is once again inviting grassroots music communities from India to apply for a £10,000 grant (? 11 Lakh approx.) which will go towards a music project that will spotlight their scene on a global scale.

Last year, Studio Monkey Shoulder supported DJ Delhi Sultanate to transport the BFR Sound System across the country and host Big Bang Festival – a 2 day boutique music & culture festival in the remote Indian jungles of Assam. This year, Studio Monkey Shoulder is back in India to discover empower the grassroots music communities who are innovating in their scenes - from independent record stores to DIY music venues, online radio stations, and beyond, the spaces where people connect, create and discover music are critical to a thriving music ecosystem.

Monkey Shoulder brand will once again join forces with globally acclaimed partners; online radio station, Worldwide FM, as well as its esteemed founder, DJ and broadcaster, Gilles Peterson, to award one India community the fund to bring an original project to life this summer. As well as funding, that community will get to tell their story through a series of films and radio broadcasts produced by Worldwide FM.

"The Studio Monkey Shoulder initiative with Worldwide FM and Monkey Shoulder allowed us to think audaciously and go all out on how we'd like a musical and cultural gathering to be. To be able to bring the sound system of a 5-day journey from Delhi to the tribal village of Nanadisa and hold a massive reggae dance in the jungle where in the end everyone let loose and joined in is stuff dreams are made of" says last year’s India fund recipients, Delhi Sultanate (BFR Soundsystem)

“I’m thrilled to see Studio Monkey Shoulder grow in its second year in partnership with Worldwide FM. It’s been a privilege to work with the communities we supported in 2024, seeing their projects thrive and come to life. I’m excited to uncover more amazing community-driven projects in India and witness the talent that comes with it as the project evolves in year two” says Gilles Peterson.

Applications to the Studio Monkey Shoulder fund open on 28^th April 2025. To find out more and apply, visit the Studio Monkey Shoulder website https://www.studiomonkeyshoulder.in/studio-monkey-shoulder