Our journey to making music accessible to all

On 8th December, for the first time in a long time, Creative Youth Network (CYN) were able to celebrate the achievements of participants of our Youth Music-funded Music Course in person.

Welcoming family and friends into the performance hall of central-Bristol’s youth hub, The Station, young people performed both composed and improvised pieces to audiences after 10 weeks of music learning and fun through our music courses.  

Run weekly in a setting close to home, our free courses offer young people aged 11 to 16 the chance to engage in music alongside a Creative Youth Worker – a youth work who is also a practicing musician. Specifically targeting those from two of Bristol’s more deprived communities – Southmead and Lockleaze – young people had the chance to build musical skills while making friends, building confidence (and many other social and personal skills), while working towards an Arts Award qualification.

But the music courses we celebrated last month are only a small part of the work Youth Music continues to support, with the aim of refining our model for bringing music to under-served communities with the aim of:

• reaching and engaging young people in music who otherwise wouldn’t have the chance
• instilling a lifelong love of music, whether this be as a creator, performer, or audience member 

At the core of our work is the belief that music is a powerful tool for change and positive outcomes.

Our Creative Youth Worker – Luke Turner – has been key to this model, spending 3.5 hours a week in Southmead and Lockleaze interweaving music and youth work provision to young people who come to just hang out in a safe space to make friends and have fun. At CYN we find these fun, positive, relaxed activities to be a powerful entry point to an art form.

Those with an interest can return anytime to youth club to hang out with Luke and other young people, and to strum a guitar, bang on a drum, have a go on music production software. They have the option of one-to-one time with Luke, and for those keen to learn more, our Music Courses provide more focused learning. For all, our extensive range of creative programmes and knowledge of opportunities and networks across Bristol mean a young person’s journey doesn’t stop here.

Last month’s performance therefore was not only a celebration of the course participants’ achievements, but of this journey. Here’s to much more learning – and music – to come.

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“When I first started the course I didn't know what to expect but I soon found it was perfect for me. I really enjoyed the trip to the M Shed it was really cool. The production music was new to me but I really enjoyed it, I have enjoyed the routine of going every week and not getting bored or in trouble. The show was amazing and I enjoyed drumming and hearing the audience respond. Thank you for helping me.” - Music Course participant, Dec 2021