Fishergate Point, a beloved grassroots music venue in Nottingham, set the stage for something special this week: the first in-person Industry Connect Coalition event. 

Artists, creatives, and industry change makers came together with one shared purpose - to tear down the barriers young people face in music and reimagine the industry as safer, fairer, and more inclusive.

A Powerful Start

Birmingham poet Ryan Dre Sinclair opened with a bespoke spoken word piece that set the tone for the day, before Michelle Myrie, Youth Music Industry Connect Lead Officer, welcomed everyone. “The music industry isn’t diverse. It isn’t safe. We’re trying to make it so for young people trying to navigate this industry. We need to break this up and start again.” Her message was a statement of intent – and a rallying cry for the day ahead. She called it, "A gold dust moment for all of us.”

Keynote Speech

Youth Music NextGen Fund artist JayaHadADream shared her journey, highlighting the vital role teachers and mentors can play in shaping futures – even if they aren't involved in the music sector. Her advice to young creatives: keep hold of your DIY ethos. Her call to the industry:

• Local radio should connect with grassroots events to spotlight new talent.
• Artists need “third spaces” – places to collaborate, build community, and grow together.

Mapping the Music Ecosystem

Guided by Industry Connect report lead researchers, Kate McBain and Dan Tsu (Lyrix Organix), attendees stepped into an exercise exploring the music ecosystem. Split into groups, they dug into the roles of education, health, culture, and family – and how all the moving parts could work better together. 

Shining a Light on Safety and Rights

After lunch, attention turned to the urgent issue of safety and rights in the music industry. Rachel Sears unveiled early findings from Youth Music’s upcoming report, which exposed troubling realities – from unpaid work to discrimination, harassment, and barriers to reporting.

A panel led by Youth Music Programme Director Carol Reid brought together Dr Diljeet Bhachu (Musicians’ Union), Katy Lana-Hall (Music Guardians), and Jeenat Mohammed (freelance creative). They unpacked the findings and explored what real change could look like, before participants broke out into groups to co-create solutions.

The day wasn’t all talk – it pulsed with creativity too. Tom Hodson, a Youth Music NextGen Fund artist, delivered a live hip-hop set on drum pads, a “sonic refresher” that recharged the room. The room was then led through a free-flow movement session, grounding everyone before the final reflections.

Dan and Kate closed with reminders of what it takes to make change stick:

Our Industry Connect Coalition event in Nottingham was more than an meeting – it was the start of something bigger. A growing coalition, sparking action across the UK, and rewriting the future of career pipelines and pathways for the next generation.

Because every young person deserves an industry that champions them – not one they have to fight against.