MDA
MDA - History
Developing the Creative Economy
1996 - The agency was founded by a partnership between North West Arts, Liverpool City Council, the University of Liverpool Institute of Popular Music, and leaders in the local music industry. 1997 - Incorporated as the Merseyside Music Development Agency Ltd, (MMDA), the agency pursued a mission to provide business support to performers and infrastructure businesses in the local music industry. 1998 - Officially launched at the House of Commons in July of this year, the agency's first development programme was financed by European funds. 2001 - In January 2001 the agency was approached by the National Foundation for Youth Music (now 'Youth Music') and invited to become the lead partner in a consortium to deliver a new initiative - the Merseyside Youth Music Action Zone ('Mzone'). The main aim of the initiative was to improve access to participation in music making for young disadvantaged people. In October the agency, in partnership with the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), successfully competed for a national funding award from the DTI Small Business Service Phoenix Development Fund. The Phoenix Development Fund was set up to encourage fresh thinking about stimulating enterprise and providing business support in disadvantaged areas and for groups under-represented in terms of business ownership. 2003 - In December the DTI/SBS granted the agency an excellence award from the Phoenix Development Fund 'Building On The Best' programme. This funding was used to launch the agency's CREATIVE BIAS service, which, along with MZONE are currently the agencies two main trading names. 2005 - In April of this year, the agency's Young Music Ambassador scheme was adopted by Youth Music and rolled out nationally. Also in 2005 the agency company name was changed to the Music Development Agency Ltd (MDA) to provide a less localised identity in preparation for a wider, regional role. Since June 2005 the agency's Creative Bias service has served as the main creative industries business start up support supplier for Greater Merseyside Business Link and as the music sector specialist partner with Merseyside ACME in providing support for business growth. 2006 - In 2006 the agency moved from LIPA premises to its present location at the Arts Village in Liverpool city centre.
