To mark Portsmouth’s 100th year of official city status, digital marketing agency Jelly has announced a new initiative to support the local grassroots cultural sector.

ExCo

The agency will provide commercial-grade websites, search visibility strategies, and marketing campaigns entirely free of charge to selected independent artists, venues, and promoters.

While the 2026 centenary will see significant official programming, Jelly’s initiative targets the independent sector - the bands, small theatres, galleries, and community festivals that often operate on negligible budgets. The project aims to remove the financial barrier to professional digital representation.

placeholder image — Jonjo, founder of Jelly

The initiative stems from a specific observation of the city’s live music and arts scene.

"In 2025, I watched 208 live bands, mostly in and around Portsmouth," says Jonjo, founder of Jelly. "The talent from, and being brought to this city is world-class, but I see too many bands playing to half-empty rooms. The issue isn't the quality of the performances. The reasons are complex, but I think a big part of it is visibility. Promoting and marketing events is expensive and technical.

"There is more to a city than brick and mortar. It’s built on the noise coming from the basements and the independent stages. We are using our resources to ensure that in 2026, those rooms are full."

What the grant covers

Selected applicants will receive a full digital overhaul, treated with the same rigour as Jelly’s commercial clients. This could include:

Custom website builds
Search engine visibility
Marketing strategy
Asset creation

Eligibility and application

The scheme is open to independent creatives and organisations based in Portsmouth. This includes unsigned musicians, independent promoters, theatre groups, street art collectives, and community festivals. Corporate-backed entities are not eligible for this initiative.

Applications are open now. Jelly will select projects based on where their digital intervention can make the most significant impact for the centenary year.

To apply, visit: https://jellyseo.com/portsmouth-100/

About Jelly

Jelly is a Portsmouth based digital marketing agency specialising in local SEO, and digital strategy. They build digital infrastructure that converts traffic into action.