Kate Tempest among recipients of Cool Britannia revival grant to promote British music
It looks like the government is trying to revive Cool Britannia.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) – the government department that helps to boost the exports of UK companies – and UK music trade body BPI will today announce 13 top British acts are to receive funding to promote their music abroad.
Among the recipients of the £5,000 and £30,000 grant – funded by you and I, taxpayer – is south east London’s Kate Tempest.
It’s a big step for the Brockley-born musician and playwright who once said that she grew up in “a shitty part of town, but in a nice house”. She also went to the BRIT performing arts school in Croydon, the alma mater of the late, great Amy Winehouse.
Business secretary Vince Cable said: “You only have to look at the success of Sam Smith at the Grammys earlier this month to see British music is still very much striking a chord with music fans across the globe.”
Other recipients include Public Service Broadcasting, whose use of archive footage and propaganda material might be baffling to foreign audiences.