Real World Masterclass
We Are Moving The Needle is proud to partner with Real World Studios to offer a scholarship opportunity to attend their 3-day Real World Masterclass led by industry professionals.
This masterclass is a chance to learn from industry experts at the studio behind iconic records by Van Morrison, Harry Styles, and Peter Gabriel. Located in Box, England, the experience includes hands-on workshops, Q&As, evening sessions with legendary creatives, full-board catering, and the opportunity to connect with a community of passionate music creators.
Applications are now closed.
Program Details:
Program Dates: July 16-19, 202
Location: Real World Studios, Box, England
Award notifications will be sent on June 26, 2026.
In addition to the scholarship, each recipient will also be paired with a mentor from We Are Moving The Needle’s world-class network of mentors.
Scholarship Requirements:
Recipients will be responsible for any lodging, travel, etc. while attending the program.
Scholarship applicants who are based in the UK and Europe will be prioritized.
Scholarships will be awarded in alignment with We Are Moving The Needle’s mission to empower women, trans, and non-binary creators in the music industry with a demonstrated commitment to production, engineering, and songwriting.
Scholarship applicants will be reviewed for: 1) Overall fit with the Real World Studios Program and demonstrated learning goals, 2) Alignment with We Are Moving The Needle’s scholarship qualifications (stated above), 3) Clearly defined goals and demonstrated commitment to work in the field that would benefit from this opportunity.
In compliance with industry standards, We Are Moving The Needle expects that written materials and work samples have meaningful contributions from the applicant. Any usage of generative artificial intelligence in work samples must be disclosed in your application.
For full details, please review our Scholarships and Grants Frequently Asked Questions.
Questions about applying for a We Are Moving The Needle Professional Scholarship? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions below!
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Scholarship applications are reviewed by We Are Moving The Needle’s scholarship committee, which is composed of leaders across the industry (from both the creative and business side) and mentors. Applications are evaluated using a qualitative and quantitative rubric that assess candidates’ preparation for success in their particular program, their articulation of career goals and commitment to production and engineering, and how this scholarship will meaningfully impact their stated goals.
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Thorough and thoughtful written responses. Successful candidates make the fullest use of the suggested word counts, provide clear and compelling answers, and demonstrate an overall thoughtfulness to the written components of the application as well as the portfolio and supplemental materials. Reviewers can tell if you write your application using Chat GPT: we want your voice, not the bots!
Clear articulation of goals that include growing skills and leadership behind the board. We Are Moving The Needle drives equity for producers, engineers, and those working in technical roles in the recording industry. Many successful alumni are multi-faceted creators and also work as songwriters and artists, but they maintain a commitment to learning, growing, and leading behind the board as well as in front.
Clear understanding of the scholarship or grant program and why you believe it will help you further your goals. Successful candidates have clearly read and researched the MicroGrant details in full and are able to share a clear understanding of why this particular opportunity is important to this phase of their creative journey. Strong candidates demonstrate a clear need for funding and how this will meaningfully shape their journey within the context of their given program or goals.
A comprehensive portfolio that clearly highlights skills behind the board. Applicants are always evaluated in accordance with the skills required for the relevant program: for an engineering masterclass, successful candidates have clear strengths and skills required as an engineer at the appropriate level for that course, for a songwriting camp they must have acumen as a songwriter, etc. Entry-level programs are tiered towards entry-level applicants. A strong portfolio tells the candidate’s story as a creator: highlighting strengths, goals, and even areas of growth as they align with the program in question.