South West
Goals: To bring music to vulnerable young people
Funding: From the National Foundation for Youth Music and 100,000 from an anonymous benefactor
Contact: Ali Smith, director, Live Music Now! South West, 01823 669 880, www.livemusicnow.org
The Music Space project kicked off in November last year and will initially run for 18 months. It aims to bring music to vulnerable young people within the youth justice system in the South West of England.
Ali Smith, director of Live Music Now! South West, which runs the project, says it has so far offered a variety of taster sessions in the form of interactive workshops across a range of different musical styles and genres.
The hope is that these will expand into longer-term projects tailored to each venue's needs.
The project is currently working with secure units and young offending teams and is being delivered in three forms: six-week residences working with a group of music makers once a week, culminating in the production of a CD recording; three-week taster sessions introducing two different disciplines; and three-week courses in specified disciplines such as song writing, where the once-a-week sessions are designed to meet the needs and interests of individuals and the group.
Music Space is currently running three- to six-week programmes in 18 centres around the South West and taster sessions in a further 24.
"The justice system, the Arts Council and Youth Music, even the Government, are becoming increasingly aware of the power of the arts in these settings," says Smith. "Workshops like ours are giving children a sense of achievement, increasing their communication skills and self-esteem, thereby encouraging young people back into education as well as reducing the risk of their re-offending."
What's next: Smith says that although the project is currently just running in the South West, she hopes to roll it out to the rest of the country. She is also looking at extending the project's remit to include dance and movement workshops.
