London, Summer 2012. In the aftermath of losing Abram, Jennie formed the kernel of an idea for this charity, to continue the work that they had started together.
With endless passion, commitment and time, we have grown – from a side hustle, to a full time role, to a small team.
Along the way, we’ve tried out lots of different things, learned a hell of a lot, and developed two super strong programmes that we are immensely proud of: Future Sound for 11-18s and Career Development for emerging artists.
So much has happened in the world through the last decade to make our mission more vital than ever now, both for young people and for musicians. Grenfell. Brexit. George Floyd.
And so much needs to change. Covid-19 disruption hit disadvantaged pupils hardest, widening the attainment gap between rich and poor students. Social inequality in school music provision is denying children from the poorest areas of the country the chance to pursue musical careers. Cuts are set to be made to arts subjects at university level. Currently, only 5% of jazz instrumentalists are female and 95% of professionals in the creative industry in London come from advantaged backgrounds.
As we head towards our 10 year milestone in 2022, we’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to get down to the core of what we need to achieve over the next five years. There’s more on that to come, so stay tuned!
But first, we’ve made some changes in how we tell our story, show what we do and become more recognisable. Frankly, we couldn’t be more excited to share our vibrant new brand with you!
We believe more people should get behind our cause because it’s important – we inspire, connect and open doors to the music industry, so underrepresented young talent has an equal chance to realise their creative potential.
This in turn means we can keep providing visibility, access and opportunity for even more young people, within an industry that is often closed to all but the most privileged.
We want to do more of what works for those we help. Meeting young people exactly where they’re at – whether that’s at school, in the community or online – and encouraging them to find their unique musical identity.
Plus offering practical support to emerging musicians and music professionals by sharing valuable connections and opportunities, as part of an exciting and thriving UK jazz scene.
We can’t wait for what the coming months and years will bring; working hard to inspire a new generation of talent that is representative of the society that we live in.
We hope you’ll stay with us on the journey.
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