Plymouth’s Barbican Theatre has launched a talent development programme after receiving funding from a leading national music charity.
The theatre is launching ReBels Music after landing support from Youth Music, which invests in music-making projects which supports children and young people, aged up to 25 years old, to develop personally and socially as well as musically.
ReBels Music is part of wider talent-development work supporting Plymouth’s creative sector and creating platforms for people to be heard.
READ MORE: {}
ReBels Music will support the growth of music industry talent in the city, including performers and those who want to record, produce, market and design tours that promote music.
programme aims to break barriers to expose young people to all the roles that make up the music industry, and opportunities to work with leading industry professionals.
It aims to provide other pathways into the music industry, and give young artists routes to finding their creative voices - whether as lyricists, composers, producers, mixers, engineers or musicians.
Barbican Theatre’s ReBels talent music lead James Woodhams said: “I’m so happy we’re introducing this dynamic new element of our ReBels talent development training programme.
“ReBels Music will provide young people with access to professional mentoring, recording space and enable them to develop as musicians, producers, managers and within many other music industry roles.
Most Read
“This programme came from our young people’s desire to do more music focused work and thanks to Youth Music we can make that desire a reality.”
A full year of ReBels Music activity is planned, with the first a selection of 13 free practical workshops, webinars and masterclasses running via zoom from February 25 to March 31. These free workshops have been scheduled throughout the week, day and evening to reach as many people as possible.
The ReBels Music team is joined initially by four experts from the music industry:
Alex Hart, from Plymouth, who has been a professional musician for 15 years and has played in venues around the 海角视频, Europe and the USA either solo, with Martin Barre from Jethro Tull or more recently with Seth Lakeman.
When she was 18 she was signed to a record label in the 海角视频 and the US and released her debut album On This Day which had regular airplay from Radio 2 and local BBC Radio stations.
In the summer of 2013, she released a cover of Angie Stone's Wish I Didn't Miss You which went to No2 in the dance charts and was supported by Pete Tong on Radio 1.
During lockdown, after losing three USA tours due to Covid-19, Ms Hart has recorded a covers album (Under the Covers) from her spare room. She played every instrument herself and it features songs from The Eagles, Billy Joel, Nick Drake and more.
Don’t miss
Ms Hart said: “It’s amazing that, in these dark times for the music industry, Barbican Theatre is doing so much. They provide a great platform for so many young people from different backgrounds, helping them experience the rich variety of roles in the industry that might lead towards careers they’d never even considered.”
Daisy Higman, is an experienced theatre-maker, composer, writer, voice artist and musician living in the South West. She identifies as a disabled artist and trained as an actor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and has an MA in professional voice practice from the Birmingham School of Acting.
She has taught voice at Bristol Old Vic and Plymouth Conservatoire, and teaches theatre skills at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, as well as leading Far Flung Dance Theatre’s Coffee Cup Choir. Ms Higman also runs workshops in vocal improvisation. She is a graduate of TRP’s Lab Company Scheme and is a member of Extant Theatre’s Directing Pathways and TRP’s Eggbox Writer’s Development scheme.
As a composer, Daisy has written for the Narwhal Ensemble, Above Bound’s Theatre Collective, Kick The Dirt Theatre, CEDA, FarFlung and for Emma Latham’s production of Lady of the English at Wilton’s Music Hall.
How to contact William Telford and Business Live
Business Live's South West Business Reporter is William Telford. William has more than a decade's experience reporting on the business scene in Plymouth and the South West. He is based in Plymouth but covers the entire region.
To contact William: Email: william.telford@reachplc.com - Phone: 01752 293116 - Mob: 07584 594052 - Twitter: - LinkedIn: - Facebook:
Stay in touch: BusinessLive newsletters have been re-designed to make them even better. We send morning bulletins straight to your inbox on the latest news, views and opinion in the South West. Get our breaking news alerts and weekly sector reviews too. Sign up now - it's free and it only takes a minute. To sign up for Business Live's daily newsletters click .
And visit the Business Live South West LinkedIn page
Benny Lau Crispin is a director of Milk Box Music Group Ltd, based at theThe Granary Studio in Callington, Cornwall.The company offer services from music engineering and recording, production tuition, record label management, distribution and promotion aimed at up-and-coming musicians and producers from the South West.
He has toured Europe performing in acts such as Panda and Two Tribes and his music has been signed to leading dance music labels including Toolroom, Anjuna Deep and Love & Other.
Jason Singh, is a sound artist, producer, DJ, facilitator and performer. He is a solo artist and collaborator whose work includes sound installations, nature soundscapes, radio shows, sound design and sound explorations using biodata, ceramics, textiles and museum objects.
Referred to as “the human sampler” by Cerys Matthews (Radio 6), Mr Singh also vocally recreates birdsong and natural environments. His work has featured on the 2019 BBC Lost Words prom, BBC Radio 4’s Pick of the Year, Springwatch and Countryfile.
Matt Griffiths, Youth Music chief executive, said: “It’s really important we improve access in to the music industries for all young people, whatever their background. That’s why we’re excited to invest in progressive organisations like the Barbican Theatre, who lead the way with their innovative approach and dedication to diversifying the creative sector.”