Small Green Shoots represents a new type of apprenticeship. They focus not just on jobs, but on careers, offering an alternative to the conventional education and training system for entry into the job market. They create pathways for disadvantaged young people aged 18-25, providing access to the music and creative industries through paid training and secondment programmes with industry partners.

PROJECT
A key part of their programme includes personal and skills development, which incorporates studio time, opening up opportunities to write, record, and produce music.

The costs of studying the arts can be prohibitive for many young people, and careers in the arts remain largely the domain of the privileged. HvH ARTS provides free courses to help break down these barriers. As a registered charity, they offer free after-school, weekend, and holiday tuition in over 20 diverse arts and media programmes to children and young people aged 5-21 within social housing estates and schools around Queens Crescent in Camden. This area falls within the 10% most deprived LSOAs in England (Income Deprivation Affecting Children 2019), with 46% of children living in poverty (Child Poverty Action Group 2018).

PROJECT
HvH ARTS developed The Music Mentoring Project (TMMP) to support young people at risk and those who are gifted and talented in music by providing professional tutors and the chance to learn and develop new skills. This summer, young people in the TMMP programme had the opportunity to perform at events across the country, including Camden Inspire, The Scoop, and Wilderness Festival.

HQ CAN’s mission is to develop the regional and national creative arts scene by enabling as many practitioners as possible to fulfil their potential. They address the barriers many creatives face in converting their craft into a profession, guided by their service users and responsive to their needs. They use music and the arts as a vehicle to improve mental health and confidence while providing the skills and support necessary for individuals to gain employment.

PROJECT 
HQ CAN is running group sessions at Pirate to create demos and participate in cyphers and live streams in various genres such as Grime, Hip Hop, and Drill. They aim to increase well-being and knowledge of the music industry while providing a platform for artists based in Leicester. Over 50% of participants in all their projects come from diverse and underrepresented groups, reflecting Leicester’s diverse population.

Young Educational Arts Hub (YEAH) is a creative project engaging young people through interactive workshops within urban music genres. Yeah Youth UK provides opportunities for young artists to grow and develop their creative skills. They focus on nurturing music skills, providing exciting opportunities, and sparking creativity through mentoring while informing young people about potential careers in the arts and entertainment industry. Their unique style of delivery has encouraged over 1,500 self-registered young people to participate in their weekly projects.

PROJECT
Yeah Youth is running a 8-week project featuring DJ workshops, rap workshops, music production, and podcasting, where young participants will collaborate to create one EP, host one rap cypher, and produce one podcast focused on London youth culture and the emerging music scene, facilitated by artist mentors. Participants will acquire skills to create independently, establish networks with peers, and understand their role in the next generation of the music scene.

Rich Mix welcomes the communities of the world in East London to create, enjoy, and share culture. Open since 2006, they are a charity connecting some of the city’s most adventurous and diverse audiences to a vital, exciting, and ambitious programme of contemporary culture. Every pound they make in their cinema, on their bars, and through their space hire goes straight back into supporting their work in the community and transforming lives through creativity.

PROJECT
Rich Mix has a youth programme called New Creatives with a weekly cohort of young people who are creatives and artists, including young filmmakers (BTS) and music artists (Music Makers) who are taught by facilitators to create personal outcomes within their creative goals. Their facilitators currently run a portable setup at the venue, so they will offer the young people a proper and professional space for their sessions at Pirate, enhancing their overall experience.

Plymouth Youth Music Service offers a variety of music opportunities for young people in Plymouth schools and local communities. They have highly skilled tutors who specialise in various instruments and genres, tailoring lessons to meet the needs and interests of each student.

PROJECT
Plymouth Youth Music Service will introduce modern music opportunities such as DJing, podcasting, and music production to those young people who do not necessarily see themselves fitting into bands, choirs, and orchestras. They will offer a safe space for young people to explore music and express themselves through sound, fostering a sense of belonging among participants and connecting them with peers who share similar interests.

Rap Club Productions support young creatives across the arts to develop their talents, be part of a positive creative community, and access careers in the creative industries. They work in schools (the Rap Club programme) and with young people outside of school up to the age of 25. Their focus is generally within Black cultures. They host regular cyphers and create narrative films, run workshops and writing/recording sessions, music videos and run live events. They are youth led.

PROJECT

Rap Club Productions have two linked projects at Pirate - running rap cyphers for young creatives to share and showcase their talent in a creative community, alongside workshops/writing/recording sessions for young people who can't access this support.

UTM aim to be a transitional pathway for young adults into the music industry, providing them with the necessary skills, equipment, contacts, and confidence to become professional artists. They recognise that many young adults in our community face limited opportunities and may be at risk of involvement in criminal activity. At UTM Studio, they create a safe and inclusive space that promotes unity and encourages young people to channel their energy and talents into positive pursuits.

PROJECT

UTM would use the funding for a few different projects as they work with young people that struggle with finances, that are displaced and disadvantaged. Studios would be used to facilitate time with professional mentors like engineers, songwriters and vocal coaches. Bands would use the studios for rehearsal sessions and they would deliver DJ classes. This would be an opportunity for the young people to gain confidence and practice skills.

U-turnships CIC work with disadvantaged young people who have been marginalised by mainstream education. They provide mentorship by encouraging creative and artistic aspirations, whilst also providing opportunities for diverse communities. Last year they held their very first Afro Food Fest Thurrock in Grays Town Park with over 1000 people in attendance, and this year they successfully held their second festival where approximately 2,500 people attended. The event celebrated Afro-Caribbean food, music, and culture whilst also providing a platform for the young people to showcase their talents by performing on stage.

PROJECT

U-turnships want their young people who are predominantly based in Thurrock to be able to create music in a safe space with artists from London and nationally that would rarely have the opportunity to do so otherwise. From working closely with the young people, the group realised how many of them have a passion for TV & film as well as music, and designed a project that brings these two worlds together. They will educate young musicians on music sync, but also by working closely with production companies they hope to provide the musicians with the platform to have their music featured in TV & Film.

Creative Opportunities' vision is for all young people to understand the power of their creativity and use it to benefit their communities. Their mission is to teach young people transferable skills relevant to their interests through a mentorship programme, to guide them as they navigate their chosen pathways. They are driven by values of inclusivity, diversity, youth leadership, reflection, innovation, and social impact.

PROJECT

Creative Opportunities will offer free studio space to young people in their community, including those in their mentoring programme and members, passionate about music, audio production, and editing. This initiative focuses on supporting those facing barriers to entry, such as Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent individuals, care-experienced young people, and prison leavers. 

Hype and Genius is an award winning social enterprise, committed to dismantling exploitation for creatives aged 16-30. They work collaboratively with corporate organisations to create programmes, education, employment, networking opportunities and more to support underrepresented creatives who wish to work in the creative industry to thrive. Their mission is to tackle industry practices that are exploitative, such as unpaid labour, and inaccessible practices which create barriers for diverse creatives. So far they have engaged over 1,200 creatives and have increased their reach by providing virtual opportunities that can be accessed by any creative in the U.K.

PROJECT

Hype and Genius would like to host their music and songwriting camps at Pirate, where they bring together diverse young people from different cultures and communities to create, complete and release music. They also want to host workshops on how to properly utilise studio equipment, ensuring creatives understand how to maintain a creative working environment. They have a partnership with ditto who allow their creatives to release music for free on their platforms and are developing emerging talent, by creating community, networking opportunities and providing a professional industry experience that mirrors the working world, to prepare creatives to work within the industry.

Ifadiwura Temple UK is an Ifa Temple that exists to encourage, teach and develop its members and to teach young people and younger generations self worth. They are working with disadvantaged young people and communities, to ensure they do not get involved in making the wrong choices. They target young people at the risk of offending, and young people identifying as NEET or on the verge, and those living in poverty. Due to the cost of living crisis, they want to roll out the project to ensure they can reach more disadvantaged young people. The group realises that youths centres are closing, with the possibility of it getting worse. They are therefore trying to provide positive avenues and safe spaces, where young people can develop and showcase their talent, which will give them a positive future.

PROJECT

The group would like to extend their performing arts academy. They want to use the studio to deliver drumming, singing and dancing sessions; to reduce anti-social behaviour within the community and society at large, by creating platforms for positive involvement and contribution.

Offshoots are a Nottingham based CIC formed in 2012, with the purpose of providing a safe space for disadvantaged and marginalised people to engage in high quality social, creative and professional development opportunities, that would otherwise be inaccessible. Their main beneficiaries are young adults between the ages of 16-30 who face challenging circumstances such as: financial restraint, isolation, lack of support networks and poor physical or mental health. Their day-to-day activities support a community of 150 young people through free-to-access projects such as the award winning youth-led music and development programme ‘Circle of Light’, pastoral support and use of their facilities. 

PROJECT

Offshoots have a group of around 30 talented musicians who were part of an album project in 2024, and they are in need of studio time and spaces to develop and rehearse their ideas. The project will allow the young people to capitalise on the momentum they gained during the project. They will have access to spaces in which they can begin to develop their own cultures utilising the new relationships they have formed. It will also provide a much needed opportunity to support their mental health as many of our participants report wellbeing challenges when they have limited access to music or social opportunity.

Think Outside The Blox is a campaign of unity, positivity and education to help inspire the young people of London to see beyond the danger and destructiveness of gangs and knife crime and realise a better future for themselves. Their ethos is based on community engagement and uniting diverse groups, as well as battling peer pressure and tackling gang influences. They engage with those already involved in gangs, those on the brink of gang life and those who might not be aware of the associated risks of gangs, through training, fitness, and playing football, while also offering educational workshops, sporting opportunities, mentoring and access-to-work routes.

PROJECT

Think Outside The Blox have over 50 young people registered with their organisation who have a passion and interest in making music and see it as a career path. They have tried to help as many of them as possible with studio time but this comes at a cost and many end up missing out on this opportunity just because of financial constraints. They know of the dangers and allure of street activities which many may turn to in order to fund their sessions so we feel this funding would act as a deterrent whilst giving the young people the opportunity they seek. As part of the project they will create an album which the young people can then perform at an event at a later stage.

Big Team actively works to diversify the people who create and contribute to festivals. They support 18-30 year olds from groups that are currently under-represented to forge their paths in the industry and work with employer organisations to develop more inclusive festival environments, with a view to contribute towards long-term meaningful change in the live event sector. Big Team’s goal is to open up opportunities for young people who have traditionally been excluded from the festival industry, they do this via four main strands of work: Careers - professional, placements and training opportunities. Outreach - engaging and informing young people about industry career options. Network - creating opportunities to connect and encouraging collaboration between peers. Artists - support and development projects.

PROJECT

Big Team and Bristol Beacon have joined forces once again in search of the city’s best-emerging talent. Next Level has been specially designed for rappers, singers, or MC's, aged 18-30 who are making original music. During the project, participants will engage with a music writing and producing week supported by industry mentors such as Sam Interface, N.Y.T.A, Grove, Dread MC, Ngaio, and Javeon. A showcase performance at Bristol Beacon, radio show features, industry workshops hosted by creatives in the game, local venues and festival performance opportunities, and a chance to connect and grow in the Next Level community. This project has been specially designed to help springboard grassroot artists’ careers and place them into professional situations that will build confidence and develop their future performance skills. Pirate is integral for rehearsal and preparation for the showcase and venue performances for their new cohort and Alumni or artists.