MADE is a project that not only inspires children and young people in cultural activities but helps them to bridge gaps in access and opportunity. Support for next steps in their growth from music enthusiasts to music-makers and emerging artists doesn’t come as standard our local area; provision in schools doesn’t speak to the genres our participants are interested in making, and their talents as Grime, R&B, Drill and Rap artists were stifled by lack of knowledge and opportunity.
It’s really important that this project happened in the West Midlands. The Black Country is an area of high socio-economic deprivation, but it is also an area that is creatively deprived. There is a significant lack of live events supporting UK Black Music culture, encompassing genres like Grime, Drill, Rap and R&B. This challenge is not exclusive to the Black Country; even neighbouring Birmingham, the second biggest city in the UK, struggles to provide events like open mic nights and live performances centred on Black culture, limiting opportunities for emerging artists at a grassroots level. Our programme empowers participants to take their music into alternative venues, fostering confidence to perform and collaborate across different music genres and with professionals in the field.
The collective tools and experiences of the MADE project have already had an effect on the pathways of our participants, who are actively participating in the music ecology and scenes of the UK. Music still may not be diverse enough (and we have some ideas about what we’d like to do next) but as a result of the MADE project, and the opportunities our participants have had, it’s better than it was; more interesting, more exciting and definitely more diverse.