The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation is dedicated to continuing the legacy of Sarah Nulty, co-founder of the Tramlines Festival. The Foundation supports various music projects and initiatives in Sheffield, providing grants to foster talent and community through the power of music, and this year have helped to support the much-loved Devonshire Green stage. We spoke to the organisation’s Chair of Trustees and Sarah’s mum, Julie Voisey, to shed more light on what they do.
Could you tell us about the Foundation’s involvement with the Fringe at Tramlines?
We knew Alex Deadman through Sarah and his work at Tramlines. He has been a part of the charity board from the beginning and has been an invaluable support to the Foundation. Through Alex, we met Alan as we were keen to know more about the fringe event. Alan supports many of the same groups on his stage as we do. Alan made an application to the board for our £2,000 grant, and his application was successful. Alan’s application included support for John Chillout Simpson, which we are delighted about. Devonshire Green and the city centre were where Sarah initially had the main stage, and we were keen to support this.
How does Sarah’s legacy inspire the work you do today?
Sarah was unique; she had the gift of bringing people together. Through her passion for music, she created opportunities for musicians and ultimately made people happy. With the Foundation, we hope to build on her legacy and continue to provide opportunities for people across the city through the power of music.
What sort of projects and initiatives have you worked on so far?
The Foundation offers grants of £500 and £2,000. So far, we have supported 32 small grants and 8 large grants. Here are just some of those we have supported this year with their music projects:
- Ritetrax: Supporting vulnerable young people and adults, as well as aspiring and established artists.
- Snowdrop: Supporting survivors of modern slavery.
- Crookes Brass Band: Supporting the revival of the band in Crookes.
- Mossbrook School: Supporting the purchase of equipment for music sessions; the school has a high number of SEN students.
- The Studio Orchestra Project: Focuses on developing and orchestrating the original music of a selection of Yorkshire-based commercial music talent alongside their exceptional 50-piece senior orchestra. The Orchestra project was jointly funded by Tramlines, the Leadmill and the Foundation and they will be playing on the Sarah Nulty main stage at Tramlines.
How can people get involved with what you do?
The charity is run by a wonderful group of volunteers, and we are always happy for people to join us. Whether it is supporting the day-to-day running of the charity, taking part in a charity event, raising money through an event, or buying our merchandise, we appreciate it all.
What does the Tramlines weekend mean for you and the Foundation?
Tramlines was Sarah for us. We went to Tramlines because of Sarah. It will always be a place where we remember her, and having the Sarah Nulty stage means the world to us. The weekend is also a chance to catch up with those involved in the Foundation and Tramlines. The Tramlines team has been and continues to be an exceptional support to the Foundation, and we couldn’t have achieved as much as we have without them.
thesarahnultypowerofmusicfoundation.co.uk // @sarah_nulty_power_of_music
