AIM partners with Tileyard North to support independents

The Association of Independent Music (AIM), the not-for-profit organisation championing the UK’s independent music community, is partnering with Tileyard North to help support the independent sector in the North of England.

AIM will have a dedicated space at Tileyard North, which opened in 2023 with plans to become the UK’s largest creative community outside London. AIM’s Director of Business Development & Partnerships, Ben Wynter (pictured above right), who orchestrated the partnership, will split his time between London and Wakefield as he continues to oversee the organisation’s “Regions and Nations” programme in the area.

AIM is also set to engage in a series of activities in collaboration with Tileyard, further enriching the regional music landscape. These activities will provide a platform for industry professionals, fostering connections and facilitating the exchange of ideas. Furthermore, AIM members will be able to take advantage of discounted rates on both permanent and plug-and-play creative space at Tileyard North.

The initiative is set to kick off with a pivotal roundtable event, strategically designed to anchor AIM within the North of England and bolster its efforts in talent development. AIM’s series of regional and national roundtables seek to create meaningful two-way dialogue with each local community to help AIM understand and address their unique needs, and to provide targeted support for local music businesses and communities. This is essential to AIM’s objective of helping create sustainable music ecosystems beyond London.

“At our 2022 AGM, we pledged to strengthen our engagement with regions and nations outside London and the Southeast of England, and this collaboration is the first in many steps that see us doubling down on that commitment,” said Wynter. “Our collective aspiration is to eliminate the necessity for talented creatives and industry professionals to relocate to London in pursuit of success. Instead, we want to support them to thrive locally, with AIM, contributing to the development of sustainable economies and ecosystems throughout the UK.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to Nick and Emma at Tileyard North for affording us this remarkable opportunity, aligning with our shared mission to support the growth of the vibrant and flourishing music community in the North of England. I am confident that the exceptional facilities and burgeoning communities taking shape at Tileyard North will offer AIM members unparalleled opportunities for genuine success."

Nick Keynes, Co-Founder of Tileyard North (pictured above left), shared his enthusiasm for the partnership: "As long time supporters of all that AIM does to help independent musicians and labels, Tileyard is delighted to announce our new for 2024 partnership with this fantastic organisation,” he added. “Ben Wynter’s vision is completely aligned with ours and his pledge to build a home for AIM at our Tileyard North campus in Wakefield is testament to our shared aspiration to increase the opportunities for creative talent to incubate, develop and thrive in the North of England. With AIM being front and centre of our growing Tileyard North community, our commitment is absolute and we cannot wait to start working together on this joint mission!”