Renowned graphic designer Anthony Burrill has created a striking protest T-shirt to rally support for our 'Rescue the Roots' campaign.

Proceeds will go directly to funding our £1 million ‘Rescue the Roots’ initiative, a vital effort to safeguard grassroots youth music projects across the UK from a growing funding crisis.

Set to launch at the beginning of the summer, the T-shirt features a bold design using his vintage letterpress style, featured in all of his work, and a powerful message, urging people to take action to protect grassroots youth music. 

Anthony Burrill is a celebrated figure in the activism space and uses his designs to drive social change. His design work combines bold typography and graphic visuals to convey powerful messages on topics such as environmental issues, climate change and social justice - issues that are prevalent in today’s society.

Through his iconic "Work Hard & Be Nice to People" slogan and collaborations with musicians and charity partners such as Shelter and Greenpeace, Burrill’s designs have inspired action and rallied support for important causes, promoting messages of unity, positivity and activism. 

Talking on the t-shirts, Graphic Artist Anthony Burrill says: “I’m honoured to support Youth Music in their campaign to protect and promote grass roots music projects. I’m a lifelong music fan and have attended amazing gigs that have helped form me as an artist. Without smaller venues musicians will not be able to learn their craft. The musical identity of the UK has been forged in intimate venues and projects across the country. Without this vibrant music scene our society will be poorer.”

Sign up here to be the first to receive a link to buy a t-shirt when they go on sale, and to be kept up to date on our 'Rescue the Roots' campaign. 

The T-shirts aim to raise awareness of the bleak outlook of the grassroots music sector, which is currently at breaking point. Without action, the future of young people’s lives in music will be even more bleak, as we predict:

In ten years, young people across eight UK regions will lose access to grassroots youth music projects.

This prediction is based on funding cuts over many years, the current cost-of-living crisis and the resulting impact on maintaining essential community music spaces where young people make music, make friends and develop their musical skills.  

• Two in five (41%) grassroots youth music projects at risk of closure - an increase of 17% v 2024 (24%)
• 54% of Youth Music’s funded partners have a waiting list of young people that want to take part but can’t due to lack of funds - an increase of 4% v 2024 (50%)
• Youth Music is only able to support less than one in five (18%) of the applications it receives, leaving over 260,000 young people withoutaccess to music-making, creative development and potential pathways into the music industries
• The financial position of 41% of Youth Music’s funded partners are set to get worse over the next 12 months, an increase of 8% v 2024 (34%), with over a quarter (28%) uncertain about the future 

To combat the crisis, Youth Music’s ‘Rescue the Roots’ fundraiser campaign will provide crucial support for over 18,000 young people. The campaign is a call to arms from Youth Music to individuals and organisations who care passionately about saving UK music to donate what they can, with the charity match funding up to £1 million, taking the fund to £2 million. 

The impact of Youth Music’s work is reflected in a new ‘Rescue the Roots’ documentary by Tell Studio that powerfully illustrates the importance of music in young people’s lives, socially, personally and musically. Watch it below.

Matt Griffiths, Youth Music CEO, says: “The crisis facing grassroots music projects is at breaking point. The lack of funding available is at critically low levels and the threat of closure for many is more imminent than ever. We cannot overstate what the closure of these incredible community projects means to not only the young people that they support, but also to the UK economy as a whole.”

“It is no longer enough to just speak about change, we must bring about change. The time for action is now and huge thanks to Anthony for supporting Rescue the Roots. We urge you all to join Youth Music in raising the necessary funds to ensure that the future of UK music is more diverse, more accessible and more equitable for young people.”

The time to act is now. Donate to safeguard the future of UK music.