Artists

Artists in Residence

Our Artists in Residence (AiRs) are established Disabled creators who work within DM as part-time PAYE employees for 10 months. We believe in providing artists with the rare stability of PAYE work, sick pay and pensions contributions. The artists are given creative tasks and the chance to work together on projects that encourage both the development of their musical practice and the development of Drake Music as an organisation. AiRs produce a final piece of work at the end of their 10 months, which is showcased here.

Artists in Residence 2023

Ysabelle Wombwell

Photograph of Ysabelle Wombwell
Bio & Music

Daisy Higman

A photograph of Daisy Higman
Bio & Music

Artists in Residence 2022

Katy Rose Bennett

A white woman who has a quiff and the side of her head is shaved. She is lying back, head tilted up and her eyes are closed.
Bio & Music

Rebekah Ubuntu

The artist Rebekah Ubuntu, is DJ-ing on a sparkling turquoise audio mixer. They have braided cyan coloured hair and wear a gold sequinned jacket and colourful light-up rings on their fingers. Behind them are paintings on a white gallery wall.
Bio & Music

Rufus Isabel Elliot

A white person with long brown hair. It is looking at the camera and standing in front of a dark metal shutter and brick wall.
Bio & Music

Artists in Residence 2021

Gareth Cutter

A photograph of a red rubber glove, a small bottle of liquid, a hand written note and a tape measure on a table. The wall behind is covered in clear plastic.
Bio & Music

Sonia Allori

A photograph of Sonia Allori playing the clarinet
Bio & Music

Elinor Rowlands

Image of Elinor Rowlands
Bio & Music

Ascendant Artists

‘Ascendant’ (Adjective.) Definition: Rising in power or influence (i.e. for artists who are experienced, but may still be under the radar). Our Ascendant artists are Disabled musicians working in any genre who have more than 3 years’ experience. They are commissioned to create a piece of music, drawing on a £2k seed fund provided by DM.

Ascendant Artists 2022

Calum Perrin

A double exposure colour photograph of a white person. They are wearing a light shirt and dark jacket. In the background
there is a blue sea and sky and a green landscape. The photograph is double exposed with handprinted blue flowers.
Bio & Music

Florence Anna Maunders

A black and white photograph of a white woman with brown hair. She’s wearing a ribbed, high neck jumper. In the background is a studio space with a keyboard and shelves on the wall.
Bio & Music

Emergent Artists

We work with early-career Disabled musicians, who each have the opportunity to make new music and develop their creative skills with a bursary of £1000, alongside access to a structured training programme and group mentoring sessions.

2025 funders: Arts Council England & PRS Foundation

Emergent Artists 2025

VVN

VVN, a black woman wearing a long orange dress, sitting down in an atmospheric, smokey setting. Her eyes are closed, and she holds her hands at the bottom of her neck.
Bio & Music

Kindred Prisms

A person with half-black, half-blonde hair looking downward. They are holding a mic. They are cast in a green-blue light. Projected onto the wall behind and above them is the silhouette of a humpback whale’s tail.
Bio & Music

Manukai

A Black-Asian person in their early twenties with dark brown dreadlocks, a septum piercing and a black chocker with spikes. They are wearing a black veil, and are looking up at the camera.
Bio & Music

Stottie

The image features a person with shoulder-length, curly light brown hair, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They are wearing a light pink top. The background is a solid, muted dark brown colour, providing a simple contrast to the person’s light-coloured clothing and hair. A few strands of hair fall across their forehead and face
Bio & Music

Ant Lightfoot

A vibrant colourful background, shows Ant on a stage, crouched forwards to reach a very short microphone. Ant is a white person with dark styled hair, a moustache, has lots of visible tattoos and is wearing a pale yellow short sleeved shirt with red patterns on. Ant is smiling.
Bio & Music

Emergent Artists 2024

Bee Jarvis

A smiling mixed-race woman is standing in a brightly lit setting. She has light blonde, braided hair styled in a high bun with loose strands cascading down. She is wearing a sparkling, beaded black top with intricate gold detailing and sheer sleeves, paired with a flowing black skirt.
Bio & Music

Post Viral

Post Viral mixing in his home studio. His headphones include an air-purifier that covers the bottom half of his face.
Bio & Music

The Shouting Mute

Dave performing in his chair, with an expression of intent on his face. Dave has short, dark hair and a beard. He is wearing a black and red knitted jumper.
Bio & Music

Dani Osoba

Close-up of Dani Osoba, a Black woman, standing and smiling by trellis flowers. She is wearing a white bonnet hat, a white shirt and blue jeans.
Bio & Music

Jasmine Marie

Jasmine, a mixed-race young woman with curly dark-brown hair styled down. She is standing in a field and is wearing a flowy white dress. She is holding her arms slightly out at her side, smiling at the camera.
Bio & Music

Emergent Artists 2023

Geo Aghinea

A black and white photograph of Geo, with dark long stripped back hair, with one of their hearing aids visible. Their eyes are staring at the camera and they are wearing a black turtleneck.
Bio & Music

Elizabeth J. Birch

A photograph of Elizabeth J. Birch performing a live set. Elizabeth is sitting in her wheelchair at a desk with audio equipment on it. She is singing into a microphone on a stand, with a monitor speaker to her left hand side.
Bio & Music

Rivkala

A photograph of Rivkala. Rivkala has brown curly short hair and is sitting on the ground with a mysterious smirk painted in brown lipstick, in front of a warm orange background. She is sitting with her knees up and elbows resting on them. The perspective is distorted with a fisheye lens so her legs and feet appear larger than reality. She wears brown leather cowboy boots, dark and light brown argyle print trousers, and a sparkly brown long striped sleeve top. Her nails are painted burgundy, and she has silver rings on each finger, a beaded bangle on one wrist, a brown pendant necklace, and brown aviator sunglasses against a yellow background with small black stars.
Bio & Music

Emergent Artists 2021

Alebdo

A photograph of Alebdo.
Bio & Music

R.Dyer

A photograph of R.Dyer.
Bio & Music

Elle Chante

A photograph of Elle Chante.
Bio & Music

Emergent Artists 2022

Andre Louis

A photograph of Andre Louis.
Bio & Music

Sha Supangan

A photograph of Sha Supangan.
Bio & Music