Co-Pilot mentors are volunteers who support their fellow songwriters, composers and musicians at different stages of their careers.

A mentor can be a guide, a sounding board and a role model, offering constructive challenges to help a mentee expand their views, knowledge and understanding.

As a mentor, you’re not expected to share your contacts, open industry doors or create opportunities for a mentee. Successful mentoring is a two-way learning relationship, where both the mentor and mentee benefit from working together.

Becoming a mentor

• Can you help a music creator to reach their full potential?
• Can you use your expert knowledge and lived music industry experience to support creative and professional development?
• Can you listen, provide guidance, and offer constructive feedback openly, honestly, and diplomatically?
• Can you commit to a mentoring relationship with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, share your skills, knowledge, and expertise?

As a mentor you will receive:

• An opportunity to develop your mentoring skills through training and resources, including a ​‘coaching skills for mentors’ workshop
• A new learning experience to build your confidence, increase your self-awareness and develop your listening, leadership and collaboration skills
• An opportunity to share and gain knowledge with your mentee, strengthening your understanding of the music industry
• A chance to learn from other mentors and build your networks through regular peer-to-peer sessions
• Access to a dedicated mentoring team to support you and your mentee throughout your mentoring relationship
• Mentoring hours which can be used towards selected professional coaching qualifications

ELIGIBILITY 

To apply to be a Co-Pilot mentor through The Ivors Academy, you must:

• Be a music creator
• Have at least five years of music industry experience or equivalent knowledge
• Be available to offer eight hours of remote mentoring voluntarily to a musician based in the UK
• Be passionate about helping others navigate the music industry

Making an application 

Before applying to become a mentor, we recommend that you read the guidance in full and that you are eligible and able to commit fully to this mentoring network. Mentor applications are always open. Mentors are matched with mentees several times a year.

To apply:

• Fill out the Co-Pilot Mentor Application form
• Select ‘The Ivors Academy’ as your network

If you have any questions about your application please email mentoring@helpmusicians.org.uk.

What happens after I apply

You will receive a confirmation email once you submit your application. If you haven’t received this, please contact mentoring@​helpmusicians.​org.​uk. You will receive an update regarding the outcome of your application within 4 weeks.

Once accepted onto Co-Pilot

Before mentoring begins, you will be expected to:

• Attend a welcome webinar
• Read through the guidance
• Watch the induction videos

The onboarding, training and matching process is conducted over a period of roughly 3 months, and once you’re matched, you’ll attend a chemistry session with your mentee and start your 6 months of mentoring.

It is important that mentoring participants get the best possible match based on their skill sets. If a suitable match cannot be found during the first round of matching, we may move you to the next mentoring group. We will endeavour to match everyone with the most appropriate match, but we may not be able to find a suitable match on every occasion.

Accessibility

If you have a disability which means that you cannot fill in the application form, contact mentoring@​helpmusicians.​org.​uk with the subject ​‘access enquiry’.

There is also an opportunity to submit a video application using the Help Musicians’ application portal but this should only be used if you cannot complete the form.