Ethnomusicology graduate wins £10,000 prize for world music guide Rhythm Passport

A Goldsmiths, University of London music graduate has won £10,000 and free access to business mentoring and training through one of the most established graduate enterprise programmes for young creative students.

2015 MA Music (Ethnomusicology) alumnus Marco Canepari (Department of Music) and business partner Kia Coates won the music category of the 2016 Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Enterprise after pitching their online magazine to a panel of judges.

Rhythm Passport, is a website and gig guide for open-minded, curious, and fun-loving people who want to discover music from around the world. With a core aim of spreading their passion for world music, Marco and Kia are aiming to change perceptions and to reach new audiences while supporting and nurturing the UK's world music scene.

The writers say that unlike other existing world music publications, Rhythm Passport is the only free, accessible and inclusive magazine with a focus on a younger audience, welcoming newcomers and connoisseurs alike, “with a focus on the flavour of the music and not just the ingredients”.

The winners of the 2016 Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Enterprise were announced at an event in London on 27 April after shortlisted candidates in five categories (art and photography, craft and design, film, music, and performance) spent the day pitching ideas and business plans to panels of well-known figures across the arts.

Marco and Kia’s award was presented by Jamie Scallion, songwriter and author of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Diaries.

DBACE has given £1.5m to young creative students across all arts sectors to help them launch their own enterprise and business projects.

Winners received £10,000 and runners-up £1,000 each. They will all be given year-long business mentoring from a Deutsche Bank executive and two days of intensive small business training to help launch their careers.

Judging panels for each of the five categories included prominent arts industry figures such as Nigel Hurst, Chief Executive, The Saatchi Gallery; Chris Paul Daniels, British Film maker and lecturer at Manchester School of Art; and Alistair Spalding, Chief Executive, Sadler’s Wells.

Winners and runners up for the five categories and details of their projects can be found at www.dbace.uk.com

Careers support after graduation

Anthony Crowther, Student Enterprise and Skills Manager, Goldsmiths Careers Service, says: "Marco attended several student enterprise workshops at Goldsmiths this year. Alongside feedback from his tutors the Careers Service provided him with advice and guidance on his plans and Rhythm Passport’s successful DBACE pitch. It’s fantastic to see his success.

"All our student enterprise activities are available to recent graduates through our Careers+ service that allows graduates to continue to receive professional careers and employability advice and support for three years after they’ve left Goldsmiths".

The MA Music (Ethnomusicology) at Goldsmiths introduces a range of methodologies in relation to the study of music in cultural contexts. As well as engaging with musical practices in various geographic or cultural areas, the programme acknowledges the importance of urban ethnomusicology and the usefulness of applying ethnomusicological approaches to Western art and popular music. Find out more.