Sound Stage rocks the 02

Posted: 29 July 2010

Youth Music's Sound Stage project which sprang to life through proceeds from a 2008 Metallica gig came to a rousing close at London's 02 earlier this month.

In the winter of 2008 Metallica donated funds from ticket sales for their gig at The O2 towards music-making opportunities for young people in Greenwich.

From this, the Youth Music Sound Stage programme was developed in partnership with the British Music Experience (BME), Greenwich Theatre and Greenwich Music Service. The programme worked with fifty local participants to progress and achieve positive outcomes through high quality music making and mentoring.

Sound Stage came to a close on 15 July 2010 with over two hundred family members, charity spokespersons and community supports came out to support the Sound Stage project’s participants at their final showcase at the O2 Arena.

The night was a huge success, featuring original musical productions from Greenwich’s young people – from emo, hip hop and musical theatre, to spoken word and grime! What’s more, the event was entirely planned and hosted by the Sound Stage Cru, a group of inspiring young people based at the British Music Experience (BME).

Over the past year, the Sound Stage Cru have been working closely with Youth Music and other delivery organisations - Greenwich Theatre, Greenwich Music Services, Greenwich Youth Offending Service, Sense of Sound and Street Vibes - to positively influence and educate young people who come from challenging circumstances through peer-based music mentoring.

The great news is that the Sound Stage legacy will live on at the BME with some of the Cru now in full time employment and others continuing to enable young people to take full advantage of the range of musical and creative opportunities at the O2, as well as the wider community.

The electrifying evening in the BME’s state of the art Jam Space was rounded off with performances from major London based acts such as Meleka, Griminal, Mikill Pane, and Louise Golbey. Some of the Sound Stage participants got the chance to jam with the artists on stage, while others participated in Q&A sessions on what’s helped them progress both musically and personally in their own successful career paths.

Fusing together youth, music and major artists, the Sound Stage Finale Showcase was an inspiring, unforgettable night of creativity and youth-led community spirit!

For more on the project, check out the videos below:

Sound Stage Project 2010 from Sound Stage Media Team on Vimeo.

Check out the participants’ joint music video here

Read about the Sound Stage Cru on their blogspot here

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