NEXT WAVE is a new two-year music development programme, delivered in partnership with Romsey Mill, YMCA, Lyrix Organix, Anglian Ruskin University, and the Trusted Adult Scheme. The programme will be co-designed with and for young people from Cambridge who are interested in music production, performance, event promotion and are at different stages of their music journey with varying access needs.
The young people will participate in a range of music development workshops and masterclasses with industry professionals, receive mentorship, access funding for equipment, be offered paid embedded learning experiences in the creative industries, produce their own events, be offered performance opportunities, and receive free tickets to a range of events.
This project is backed by Youth Music, thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England.
Beth Bailey, Cambridge Junction's Head of Creative Learning, said "We are thrilled with this award from the Catalyser Fund to support NEXT WAVE. Thank you, Youth Music! NEXT WAVE will create long-term, development journeys for young artists, working at a pace which best supports them and their individual needs, addressing industry barriers, and creating pathways to help achieve their aspirations. We can’t wait to begin co-designing NEXT WAVE with the participants and collectively continue building Cambridge’s community of young creatives!"
Carol Reid, Youth Music's Programme Director, said:
"Youth Music's recent Industry Connect study has identified the issues faced by young people entering the music industry and the significant gaps in the current provisions in music education. Whilst the UK music industry contributes an estimated £7 billion to the economy, there is a huge amount of work to be done to ensure we close the gap from learning to earning. We’re delighted to be funding the NEXT WAVE programme which is helping to address these issues, and helping young creatives outside of London to develop practical skills."
