The courses coming to Manchester this month are designed to help young people in the area get into creative industries.
Get Started with Visual Arts will support young people to experiment with new ideas and explore various roles within the arts; develop their own projects and collaborate on group pieces, as well as connect with like-minded artists, and develop essential skills in creativity and communication.
Get into Event Production will provide young people with hands on experience including learning essential behind-the-scenes skills like lighting, sound, and overall production. Young people will collaborate with like-minded individuals, boosting their confidence as they work together. They’ll also receive valuable support to write a standout CV and learn strategies to ace job interviews, ensuring they’re well-prepared for the job market.
These courses are part of the Creative Futures initiative, a partnership between The Elba Hope Foundation and The King’s Trust, designed to equip young people with the skills and confidence to pursue careers, training, or entrepreneurial opportunities in the creative industries.
The partnership started with a Get Started with DJing course, in November last year. Delivered by Reform Radio the programme provided young people with hands-on training with professional grade equipment and offered an exciting introduction to DJing.
Through this course, participants connected with like-minded peers in a supportive environment, mastering skills like beat-matching, self-promotion, and sourcing gig opportunities. They also learned how to command a crowd during headline performances, building both technical expertise and personal confidence. To celebrate the end of the course, young people gathered at The Washhouse Manchester.
Matthew took part in our Get Started with DJing course in November. He is now looking at securing DJing gigs, whilst undertaking part-time work.
“I grew up in a very musical household and gained a love for music from a very young age. I often listen to sets from various DJ’s and enjoyed Idris’ recent stuff in the Cyberpunk game, so when I came across the Get Started with DJing programme I thought it was a perfect fit for me.
“I really enjoyed my time on the course. We got to learn the fundamentals of DJing, mixing different tracks, to ultimately create a 10-minute set which we performed on the last day of the course, in a venue called The Washhouse in front of a small crowd.
“Having the chance to use industry-standard equipment was incredible. It was a significant upgrade from the equipment that I have at home, and I felt very privileged to have had this opportunity.
“As part of the programme we had the opportunity to have headshots and social media photos taken by Reform Radio and an employability session on how to market ourselves, with advice from a guest speaker from GigPig, we learned how to secure DJing gigs in the local area. We also had a Q&A session with DJ Emma Charles who regularly plays at The Washhouse and this was incredibly inspiring. These sessions were really beneficial, as I feel I’ve now gained the building blocks to go out there and secure DJing opportunities myself.
“I am exploring DJing as a part-time career and I am in the process of reaching out to nightclubs to explore opportunities. I’m trying out streaming sets online on twitch and alongside this, am working in a function venue and have been supporting them, while they overhaul their sound setup and hope in the future to play a few sets here.
“Overall, I found the programme was a great experience. The confidence it built in me was paramount and it’s motivated me to try and make DJing a career for myself. I cannot thank the collective enough for giving me this fantastic opportunity and would be excited to explore more courses in the future.”
Commenting on the Creative Futures project, Idris said: “Many of us working in the arts today, myself included, only made it because of programmes like this when we were young. Today’s youth deserve at least the same chance, and more. ‘Creative Futures’ exists to give the same hope, support and success I’ve found to the next generation.”
“Sabrina and I co-founded The Elba Hope Foundation to encourage every young person fulfil their potential, the ‘Creative Futures’ programme will do just that, with courses in industries I know and love. We’ll help young people develop skills, confidence and aspirations for the future.”
Sarah Kermode, Delivery Manager for Greater Manchester, at The King’s Trust said: “We’re grateful to the Elba Hope Foundation and Reform Radio for their support in helping more young people get into creative industries and further our mission of helping young people build the skills and confidence they need to find a job, train or start a business.”
