UK collective Girls Don’t Sync are turning their attention to the scenes that shaped them, teaming up with Relentless Energy to roll out a new edition of Local, an initiative designed to support emerging DJ collectives outside the capital.
At a moment when independent venues continue to shutter and arts funding remains under pressure, the programme is less about industry hype and more about infrastructure. Rather than spotlighting a single breakthrough act, Local focuses on giving collectives the tools to build something sustainable in their own cities.
At the centre of the initiative is a £20,000 grant pot. Selected crews, personally chosen by Girls Don’t Sync, can receive up to £5,000 each. The funding is paired with practical support, including access to sound systems and promotional backing, allowing recipients to programme and host their own events from the ground up. The campaign begins where it all started for the group: District, the venue where they played some of their earliest shows. On 14 May, they return for a low-cost launch party, keeping tickets at £5 to reflect the ethos of accessibility that underpins the project.
The line-up leans firmly into regional talent, with support from north-west names including Daisie Anderson, Decks in the City, TJOS and Adele Tondu. It is a deliberate move that places emerging artists on the same platform as one of the UK’s fastest-rising dance acts, without inflating the cost of entry for audiences.
Local sits within Relentless Energy’s wider Freeform platform, which centres on grassroots culture and community-led programming. A previous edition saw Mura Masa take the concept to towns including Stockton-on-Tees, Blackpool and Bradford, collaborating with local selectors to spotlight regional scenes often overlooked by mainstream touring circuits.
This new iteration sharpens that focus. By handing over both funding and curatorial control to artists who have built their careers outside London’s traditional pathways, the project aims to redistribute opportunity in a way that feels tangible rather than symbolic.
Applications for the fund are open until 22 May, with successful collectives not only receiving financial backing, but the chance to define their own spaces, on their own terms.
Sign up for tickets for the show now. Applications for the grant are open until 23:59 on 22 May via the official application page.