Soundofsuccess
Community project helps young people get into music COMMUNITY, LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT AWARD
NOT all learning takes place in schools – life chances also happen in the community with youth work and adult learning.
Mobilize Music Project won the Community Learning and Development Award for their work with young people, providing activities to make music and work in the creative industries.
Based in East Kilbride Universal Connections and supported by South Lanarkshire Council, the project has more than 50 members.
Team leader Lindsey McLatchie said: “The pandemic presented many challenges... Mobilize staff quickly adapted programmes and developed a range of creative models to keep the young people engaged in learning and continuing to achieve their personal goals and qualifications.”
Highlights include:
●Weekly online music genrethemed sessions including Ska,
Heavy Metal, 80s and Country, with staff and young people dressing up.
●Creating mobile recording studios that provide everything needed to record and share songs, videos and produce evidence for qualification portfolios.
● A musical instrument library that loans members free instruments to practise at home.
●Hosting and live streaming of gigs from youngsters’ homes.
●“Our Sound of the Suburbs” – music tuition for ukulele, guitar, and sound production.
Community learning development officer Ian Fraser said: “Our young people range in age from P6 to 25-year-olds. It’s all about making friendships and improving wellbeing and becoming more resilient – you don’t have to be particularly musical to enjoy being at Mobilize.
“We provide a safe environment to socialise. Music has been proven to improve mental health.”