Birmingham’s Punch Records today announces the return of Community Routes, its flagship free creative development programme offering 50 fully funded places for 18-25 year-olds in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The project supports the next wave of DJs, vocalists, broadcasters, photographers and digital artists, helping them to break into the highly competitive creative industries – and retain this talent in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Applications open 8 April and close 29 June 2026.  Places are expected to be fiercely competitive: Punch Records reported more than 250 applications for just 50 spaces last year, underlining both the scale of local talent and the appetite for accessible, real-world creative opportunities.

Community Routes is designed to remove barriers that stop young people entering creative careers - particularly those who are developing their craft outside mainstream pathways. Punch’s mission is rooted in supporting young people from diverse backgrounds, especially those working outside the mainstream, and Community Routes turns that mission into a practical route: skills, networks, and visibility.

The programme begins with an intensive week-long summer residency in Birmingham - a “bootcamp-style” environment led by industry professionals - followed by a structured programme of mentoring, workshops and networking.

Across the programme, participants build industry tools in areas including leadership, producing and budgeting, alongside the practical know-how to navigate creative careers and grow sustainable practice.

Another huge advantage of being one of the 2026 cohort is the added opportunity to be commissioned and awarded a budget to make a small selection of artists’ dream projects come true.

New 2026 pathways: DJ, Vocal Performance; Radio Broadcasting; Photography; Digital Arts.

For 2026, Community Routes participants will have the opportunity to take their work onto a major independent festival platform, with a paid performance opportunity at Shambala Festival 2026, which runs Thursday 27 August to Sunday 30 August.

Shambala’s origins are closely tied to Birmingham, with its early story rooted in student-led events in the city and a Birmingham record shop that became a creative hub - making this pipeline from Birmingham talent to a nationally respected festival stage especially resonant.

Since launching Community Routes, Punch has built a fast-growing track record of developing West Midlands talent and creating tangible industry-facing moments. In 2025 alone, Punch reports extending capacity and bringing over 60 creatives into the intensive residency, culminating in an industry networking event attended by over 40 industry names (delivered in partnership with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation) and followed by further masterclasses in areas including finance, marketing, networking and branding.

Applicants must be based in Birmingham or the surrounding areas of the West Midlands and aged 18–25 (priority age range).  Applications open from Wednesday 8 April at wearepunch.co.uk