Pamela McCormick
Pamela McCormick co-founded UD* (United Development) in 2000, with the vision to create the premier agency for spotting and supporting Black music talent in the UK. Twenty years on, UD has expanded to encompass both a charitable arm, UD Music Foundation, and a commercial arm, UD Music. The former operates in the country’s poorest and most diverse boroughs delivering education and early talent programmes. The latter operates as a record label, facilitating the recording, production, release and promotion of music from exciting new Black music talent. UD’s work stands where the creativity of underground music meets the industry, combining business acumen with an understanding of youth culture. Through industry-led business and employment support programmes, career guidance, access to resources and showcasing, UD has supported thousands of participants (14 – 25 years, majority Black, Asian, minority ethnic) to access and progress within the music industry.
UD has supported a number of artists in their early careers including Andreya Triana, Labrinth, Little Simz, Maverick Sabre, and Wretch 32, as well as many emerging professionals who now work at industry giants including Apple, Capital Xtra, Island Records, Nike, SBTV, SoundCloud and Universal Music. Pamela grew up in Belfast in the 1970s through the era of pub bombings, barricades, daily murders and little integration. As her thinking and challenging of the origins of the troubles matured, she realised that poverty and lack of aspiration were at the heart of the mutual distrust. This insight has become the keystone upon which Pamela has built her career. Graduating from Edinburgh University with a degree in French, Pamela’s music career started with Assembly Theatre & Music, the company that ran the Assembly Rooms programme during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Leaving with two of the directors when they set up Assembly Direct, Pamela programmed and produced Friday Night Jazz at the Queen’s Hall as well as a series of high profile UK tours (Silk Cut City Jazz and Teachers Jazz). Touring highlights include Branford Marsalis Trio, Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, Jan Garbarek, Ornette Coleman, and John McLaughlin with featured artist Katia Labèque.
Soon after, she found herself living in Monte Carlo, working as an assistant to esteemed musician/composer John McLaughlin and concert pianists Katia & Marielle Labeque. Subsequently, she worked in Paris as assistant to the international conductor, Semyon Bychkov, during his time as Musical Director of the Orchestre de Paris, Dresden Staatsoper and Chief Conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne. But it was her next move – to London – that led to her fulfilling those young-founded dreams to see something positive rising from the ashes. Complementing an MA in Arts Management at City University and a range of freelance arts projects, she built relationships and projects with a collection of artists including international turntablist and former UK DMC champion, DJ Pogo, programmer & producer Sparkii Ski, and dancer, rapper and choreographer, Jonzi D. From these roots, UD was born in 2000.
More than two decades into the project, UD’s idealistic goals have become a reality driven by Pamela’s tireless work. Her vision for social and cultural change combined with her phenomenal ability to fundraise are the drivers behind the success of the organisation. The foundation of her beliefs includes a passion for equal opportunities and a deep appreciation for music. Pamela’s knowledge of and experience within the commercial and charitable music sectors have driven the organisation to be recognised by the public sector for the social and cultural impact of its work, and respected and rewarded by the private sector for the value UD adds to the business of music. Ever-evolving her vision for UD, in March 2018, UD and East London Dance successfully bid together for Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund for £1 million to create the UK’s first national Talent House for Black music and culture in Stratford, East London. Pamela has driven the ambitious project forward, raising £2.1 million to build the pioneering and state-of-the-art music and dance hub to empower, support and develop the next generation of talent. The centre will offer an aspirational space to unlock potential of musicians, singer songwriters, composers, dancers, choreographers and producers and to enable progression to further/higher education, employment and enterprise.
Pamela has led the organisation to become a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and part of the PRS Foundation Talent Development Partners network. She has secured support from a wealth of established companies, funders and organisations across the music industry including The BRIT Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, PPL, Vivendi Create Joy/Universal, and Youth Music. In 2017, Pamela received the Campaigner Award at the prestigious Music Week Women in Music Awards and was honoured by the UK Music Producers Guild in 2020 with the Special Recognition Award for her outstanding work in supporting and educating the next generation of diverse musical talent in the UK.
Headshot credit: Chris Lopez.