Young Musicians Project

Young Musicians Project supports young musicians (13-19) to develop skills, write and play together, and to take the first steps towards gigging, recording and releasing their music.

We currently run three weekly music groups from Field Music Studio in the centre of Sunderland.

All young people are welcome at Young Musicians Project, whether you’ve never written a song before or if you have music you’re already working on. The groups are youth-led and we try and make the groups as responsive as possible to the interests of the members. We also have an instrument library, so you don’t need to worry about not having your own kit.

The groups come together regularly for YMP Socials at Pop Recs Ltd, which is a chance for all the groups to share their work with each other. We also offer regular recording opportunities in studios across the region, including Sun Loft Sounds, Harbourmaster Productions and Blank Studios, and support young people to take the first steps towards releasing their work.

For those young people who want to, we also offer a variety of (paid) performance opportunities, including local and regional support slots at venues like Cumberland Arms, Alphabetti Theatre and Independent, and at local festivals, such as Summer Streets, A Stones Throw Festival and Waves.

We also run special projects which are open to group members, such as our current Our Past, Our Future project with English Heritage.

Young Musicians Project is led by an amazing team of musicians, including Natasha Haws, Beccy Young, Marty Longstaff, Holly Rees, Robyn Walker, Lesley Roley, David Brewis, Elizabeth Liddle and Eddie Scott, and has an active system of peer-support.

Young Musicians Project is made possible by funding from Youth Music, SCOPS Arts Trust, Sunderland BID and Sunderland Music Hub. Via. Sunderland BID, our Monday group is part-funded by UK Government through UKSPF.