Rural Routes Rhythms is a Taith funded initiative designed to address the barriers faced by young music professionals in rural areas of Wales and Spain. Through an international exchange, the project will connect six young musicians (three from Wales and three from Spain) to co-create practical digital and in-person resources that will empower their professional development and community connection.
The project includes:
- Initial mapping of resources available for rural musicians in both countries.
- Training sessions in Spain and Wales, focusing on skills development and innovative solutions.
- Creation of a practical digital toolkit that will be hosted on Anthem Gateway and the Wazo website.
- Launch events in both countries to share results and encourage community engagement (planned for the second half of 2025).
With a focus on diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, Rural Routes Rhythms will benefit not only the direct participants but also a broader audience of young music professionals in rural areas. We hope to achieve 6 young musicians participating directly in the mobility program 60 rural musicians in Wales and Spain testing the toolkit. 150 visits to the project page in the first month. 50 attendees at the launch events In the long term, this project will strengthen rural music networks, promote community pride, and generate sustainable economic opportunities, thereby combating the brain drain to urban areas.
Role: Exchange participant
Salary: Travel expenses and accommodation paid – access needs also included.
Time Commitment: 12 in-person activity days, 6 of which will take place in Spain (February 2026) and 6 to be delivered in Wales (July 2026). You will also also be expected to attend an introduction session on Zoom with the project team.
Application Deadline: 5pm Friday 28th November 2025
Interviews: 11th December 2025
1. ABOUT ANTHEM
Anthem. Music Fund Wales Cronfa Gerdd Cymru is a new charity established in 2018. Our vision – A Wales in which music can empower every young life. We believe music is a potent creative force for young people that feeds self-expression, personal development and wellbeing We create opportunities across genres and communities and nurture diverse talent to take their next steps in music We are a catalyst for youth music in Wales, funding work that will create change, making connections to widen partnership working, and enabling best practice to flourish.
2. WHAT IS RURAL ROUTES RHYTHMS?
Recently, Anthem has been funded by the Welsh Government: Taith program to research how best to support stronger, more sustainable career pathways for young musicians living and working in rural communities. We are doing this by partnering with Wazo Coop to deliver an exchange programme between young musicians in Wales and Spain, with the aim of building a practical toolkit for young people in both countries to use in the future.
Rural Routes Rhythms is an opportunity for you to share your experiences of working in music in a rural area and help others to build a career in music, despite the barriers living and/or working in a rural area might present.
Some of the things you will get to do as part of Rural Routes Rhythms include:
- Taking part in Anthem’s first international exchange between Wales and Spain.
- Sharing your experiences, challenges and successes of working in music in a rural area.
- Feedback the changes you want to see for young music workers in rural areas.
- Connect with other young music workers to design resources that will support more young people to build strong music careers in rural areas.
3. ABOUT WAZO COOP
Wazo Coop is a social cooperative working with social and solidarity economy and creative cultural industries to generate positive impact in rural areas. Wazo Coop is a jointly owned and democratically managed organisation that works on the empowerment of residents of rural areas by promoting inspiring strong role models to lead local communities, especially youth.
Wazo Coop cooperates and develops projects for social transformation of rural areas promoting participatory leadership by means of innovation and creative methods for positive changes to support cultural social entrepreneurship in rural youth.
4. WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are looking for people with a passion for music in rural Wales. You might be an active musician, an aspiring musician, studying or teaching music, a bedroom musician, or an early careers music professional.
You will also need:
- To be based in Wales
- To be aged between 18 & 25
- To be working in rural Wales, either as someone who lives in a rural area or someone who travels to work in a rural area
- To be familiar with social media platforms and zoom
- To commit to attending in-person and virtual meetings and an exchange trip
- To have access to the internet
- To have a valid passport or be able to obtain one before January 2026.
Please note that you do not need to be able to speak Spanish to apply. However, we do want participants that are interested in engaging with and learning from Spanish culture.
5. WHAT THE PROJECT CAN DO FOR YOU?
Here are some of the things you can get out of taking part in Rural Routes Rhythms:
- Help you make connections across the music sector in Wales and Spain
- Exchange knowledge and resources with other music workers developing careers in rural areas
- Opportunity to shape and design the tools you need to sustain a career in music.
- Access to attend exciting music events and festivals as part of the project.
6. MEETING DATES
This project will consist of two cultural exchanges, one in Spain and one in Wales. You will also be expected to attend an introductory session on Zoom.
To take part, you need to commit to attending sessions on these dates:
- Week of the 15th December 2025 – Rural Routes Rhythms Introduction call (Zoom)
- 23rd – 28th February 2026 – Exchange in Spain (in-person)
- 6th – 11th July 2026 – Exchange in Wales (in-person)
7. HOW TO APPLY
Please complete our application form by clicking this link
On the form you will be asked to tell us some of the following:
- Who you are and what your connection is to working in music in a rural area.
- What you would like to see improved or changed for musicians working in rural areas.
- The skills and knowledge you could bring to support the project.
- Why you want to be involved in the project and what you would like to learn from the experience.
There is an option to upload a video link, so if you would rather tell us about yourself by making a short video, please include a link and fill in the application form boxes with ‘please watch my video’.
The deadline for submission of applications is 5pm Friday 28th November 2025.
8. NEXT STEPS
- You will be informed if you have been invited for an interview by 5th December 2025.
- Interviews will take place on 11th December 2025.
- Final outcomes will be announced by 15th December 2025.
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to apply for this role and we especially welcome applications from those who are under-represented in the music industry. If you have any access needs that you would like us to put in place to enable you to join Rural Routes Rhythms, please contact Rhian Hutchings by emailing: rhian.hutchings@anthem.wales