Case Study

Music sessions in Birmingham to support young people to have a life away from violence

Free music sessions have been made available to young people either involved in or at risk of falling into violence, to boost their sense of purpose and support a reduction in violent behaviour.

The sessions are based in family hubs in the Solihull area, providing young people with tailored mentorship, skills development and confidence building. The young people are then invited to the Midlands Arts Centre’s state-of-the-art Recording Studio, giving them all the equipment they need to record and enjoy their hard work. The sessions also focus on improving their overall wellbeing, as well as employability prospects.

Watch the end result: Forget My Yesterday

Testimonials

Simon Foster, The Police and Crime Commissioner

“It is fantastic to see young people so passionate about music and the arts. The programme gives our young people a place and medium through which to express themselves, their worries, their joys and their feelings. I am delighted we are investing and working with our young people. These are exactly the kind of opportunities we need to be offering to help them flourish.”

Julia Thomson-Smith, MAC Makes Music Producer (2022-2024)

“The impact that this programme has cannot be overstated. The journey we see these young people go on in terms of their skills, confident and most importantly, their self-belief that they can aspire and work towards brilliant things, is so wonderful to see. Music is consistently surveyed to be one of the most popular pastimes for young people; the ability to recognise this and use music as a vehicle for change, engagement and employment is so powerful.”