Big Break winner Ciaran Lavery to receive MEGS funding

Hot on the heels of his success in The Big Break, in association with Alcatel ONETOUCH, Ciaran Lavery has been chosen for support by the UK Department of Trade and Investment, under the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS).
The Aghagallon artist finds himself in good company, as Derry songwriter SOAK (Bridie Monds-Watson to her mum) is the other Irish artist selected this round.
The scheme is now in its second year and aims to boost sales of artists from Britain and Northern Ireland and fund and promote their overseas activities.
Both acts have been championed in the pages of Hot Press, most recently with Ciaran Lavery's cover feature and coverage of his celebratory performance at The Big Break Live alongside HamsandwicH.
In this sixth round of funding, the 16 acts and three songwriters will receive grants ranging from £8,000 to £15,000. The money will be matched by the music companies behind the acts to pay for items such as overseas marketing, session musicians, tour support, booking agents and other expert services in the territories that the artists hope to tour. The songwriters will attend writing camps overseas to help boost the revenues that come from publishing and sync deals.
The other acts are as follows:
– 65daysofstatic (Sheffield)
– Dr Meaker (Bristol)
– Eska (London)
– Fearless Vampire Killers (Suffolk)
– Låpsley (Merseyside)
– Lonelady (Manchester)
– Maribou State (Hertfordshire / Leeds)
– Marika Hackman (London)
– MONEY (Manchester)
– Oh Wonder (London)
– Songwriters Paul Drew (Croydon), Pete Barringer (Isleworth), and Pete Boyes (Essex)
– Sam Lee (London)
– The Temperance Movement (London)
– Until The Ribbon Breaks (Cardiff)
– While She Sleeps (Sheffield)
In other Lavery news, he's gearing up for an Irish tour next month.
You can catch him:
Wednesday August 12 – Coughlans, Cork, with The Hard Ground (Acoustic Set)
Thursday August 13 – The Harbour Bar, Bray, with Marc O’Reilly
Friday August 14 – Whelans, Dublin, with Marc O’ Reilly
Saturday August 15 – McCarthys Bar, Dingle, with Marc O’Reilly
Sunday August 16 – DeBarras, Clonakilty, with Marc O’Reilly
For further info, check out his Facebook page.