Rising Tide’s Youth Music Peer Mentor, Gregory Sewell, has successfully mentored 6 young offenders who voluntarily signed up to join the Hackney Resettlement and Aftercare Provision (RAP) music programme based at Rising Tide in Ocean Music Venue.  Youth Music Mentors aims to improve the life chances of young people through new opportunities linked to music-based mentoring. Funded by the DCMS, the national programme provides young people with one-to-one and group mentoring sessions with peers, musicians and the music industry.

Gregory Sewell (aka Spooky DJ) has been running individual and group mentoring sessions with a mixture of MC’s, rappers and producers aged between 13 and 17, where he has helped them to create and record tracks for an album of new music entitled ‘Time 2 Blow’. Gregory has also led studio recording sessions in Rising Tide’s commercial studio, as well as providing them with advice about developing an artist profile within the underground music scene. This project has been extremely important to Gregory, as he was able to share his experience, skills and knowledge with young people from a background that is not too dissimilar from his own. Rising Tide first met him five years ago, having received a telephone call for help from a local Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) that he was being excluded from.

The Hackney RAP music programme is part of an innovative approach to rehabilitating young offenders using music as the medium to address issues such as personal development, emotional intelligence, team building, identity, a sense of belonging, community spirit and a shared sense of pride. Huge improvements have been seen in the young offenders’ confidence, social behaviour and a decline in re-offending rates.

This work culminates in an event being held on Wednesday 28th November at Ocean Music Venue to celebrate the achievements of the young people involved in this programme by launching a record label they have created and showcase the new music being released on their album ‘Time 2 Blow’.

For more information visit www.rising-tide.co.uk