Month: December 2023

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blog Thirty Pound Gentleman Youth Music

SOUNDCAMP 2023 ROUND-UP

Soundcamp, our artist development and mentorship programme funded by Youth Music and in partnership with Thirty Pound Gentleman, has drawn to a close for our 2023 cohort. To bring it to an end, it was only right for our Soundcamp artists to take over Manchester venue, The Blues Kitchen, and put into practice all they’d been working on over the past year.

Check out the undivided antics from our showcase below and keep reading to find out the highlights from Soundcamp 2023.

Over the course of the Soundcamp project, ten emerging artists received artistic guidance from a collection of established music industry professionals and creatives to support them on their musical journeys. From sound engineering, to performance skills and musicianship, the participants were provided with insight into a wide array of areas impacting their careers.

Mentors on the programme included creative producer, artist and broadcaster Jenna G, DJ and producer Werkha who has appeared on the likes of BBC Radio 6’s ‘The People’s Party’, and Anna McLuckie, a remarkable vocalist and harpist. Our mentors combined weren’t short of knowledge in vast corners of the music industry to share with our group of upcoming talent.

Not only did our participants receive consistent mentoring through the programme, but they were also invited to pair up with an acclaimed Manchester artist to create an exclusive track to perform at the Soundcamp: The Co-Lab Edition closing showcase. The main event took place at Manchester’s The Blues Kitchen; all ten duos of emerging artists and Manchester legends debuted their collaborative tracks live, alongside partaking in panel discussions about their time on the project and plans moving forward. This process of collaboration not only musically challenged participants, but also tested their resilience and practice in producing a product with individuals from differing creative backgrounds.

“Even though I was initially worried, it’s been amazing working with Sarah [Angel]… She has helped me grow as a person and we’ve been able to produce something that is unique to the both of us. It’s been a very innovative collaboration that made us both step out of our comfort zones in a positive way.”

– LC, Soundcamp participant

Soundcamp has been thriving since its launch in 2018 and assisted a huge range of new artists of all creative backgrounds in kickstarting their journeys. From hosting a virtual stage at We Out Here Festival, to a series of successful showcases and appearances, our Soundcampers have never shied away from opportunities to hop onstage. We have also had the joy of seeing members of the previous years’ cohorts move into recognised positions within Manchester’s music scene. Alex Pascalidis of the programme’s debut year is now the proud project manager for our Soundcamp course. Meanwhile, artists including Sarah Angel and Iora that collaborated professionally with our Soundcamp participants this year for the Co-Lab project, are also alumni from previous years.

As this year’s collective spread their wings and head off with a large range of newly-built skills under their belt, we look forward to 2024’s Soundcamp project. Stay tuned for news on next year’s programme coming soon.

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REFORM RADIO XMAS & NEW YEAR PROGRAMMING 2023

The decs are up, we’ve written our wishlists, and we’re wrapping up warm at Reform. We are edging closer and closer to the beginning of our festive programming to draw 2023 to a close in classic Reform style. This year we’ve got a load of good tunes, exclusive shows, and vital chit chatter to take you through the holiday period. Let’s take a look at what you’ll be treated to on the airwaves…

Soundcamp: Co-Lab Sessions

21st December, 5-7PM

To kickstart your celebrations, lock into this exclusive preview of our recent Soundcamp: Co-Lab event, live from Manchester’s Blues Kitchen. The evening showcased ten individuals that partook in our 12-month artist development programme, Soundcamp, in partnerships with ten Manchester music legends. The ten duos collaborated to create a unique track to perform live at the project’s closing event. This is your chance to hear them for yourself. Trust us, you don’t want to miss the radio debuts of these formidable pairings and records.

Season Focus

24th December, 2-3PM

Over the past few months, in partnership with Manchester City Council Youth & Play Fund and Drum Happy, we have been holding creative workshops at the Powerhouse Library in Moss Side, using creative writing, rhythm and drumming to explore themes of wellbeing and self-expression. Hop into one of the sessions on the airwaves with this one hour special led by Wellbeing Manager and trained psychotherapist, Dan. In this episode, the group discuss community, loneliness and resilience at this time of year.

Please note, you can head to our Emergency Contacts page here, should you be struggling over Christmas and the New Year.

The Get Up

25th December, 10AM – 12PM

There’s no better way to wake yourself up on Christmas morning than tuning into The Get Up, with Yelena Lashimba. A spark of energy behind the mics and decks, Yelena is the equivalent of an espresso in the morning and will certainly bring Christmas joy to your household on the 25th of December. Lock in via DAB or online for this merry special of our in-house morning show.

New Year’s Eve Show

31st December 2023 – 1st January 2024, 3PM – 2AM

The countdown begins to 2024, marking the end of our 10th anniversary year. We’re ramping up the energy on the radio for your New Year’s Eve, with an undivided selection of live and DJ sets recorded from our birthday party with ShinDigger back in September. From OneDa, Mr Scruff, Obeka to the HERchester collective and more, this show features a load of our favourite Manchester artists and talent. This is a final opportunity to celebrate a decade of Reform Radio, so tune in and let our lineup accompany your new year celebrations.

What are you waiting for? Turn up the volume as the fun never stops on the Reform Radio airwaves.

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blog MAES uncategorized

BEHIND THE SCENES: RADIO COURSE (FUNDED BY MAES)

Funded by MAES, our Radio Course marks the closing of our projects for 2023. Over the past two weeks, our participants have been exploring presenting, script writing, the technical aspects of radio and more, all in contribution towards their own radio show to be debuted on Reform Radio.

Listen to the show below.

We caught up with two of our attendees, Violet & Helena, to hear about their antics on the programme and where they’re heading next.

Please can you introduce your name, pronouns, and what you enjoy doing in your free time.

H: I’m Helena, my pronouns are she/her. I’m currently in the process of applying for lots of jobs and I DJ disco and house music in my bedroom. One day, I hope to start playing some live DJ sets.

V: Hey, I’m Violet, my pronouns are she/her, and in my free time I do video editing for YouTubers and I livestream on Twitch – anything to keep me being creative.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

H: Personable, energetic and exquisite.

V: I’d say creative, soft-spoken and kind-hearted.

Did you have much experience in radio or presenting before? If so, what’s your favourite thing about it?

H: I presented my own monthly show on a radio station through lockdown that I recorded from home. Also, I am part of a DJ collective and I sometimes get my mixes played on Bloop London. My favourite thing about radio is how broad it is, but I have also loved learning the technical ropes of radio throughout the course too.

V: I didn’t have that much experience in radio specifically, but I have been acting since I was younger, which I think is really transferable to presenting. Since partaking in the radio course, I have loved how you can turn any topic into a show and when you bring your ideas into Reform, your ideas are always met with seriousness.

What prompted you to get involved with the Radio Course?

H: I have always loved radio and I adore Annie Mac. I was really curious to see how radio operates and keen to view the landscape of jobs within it.

V: Every weekend, we used to travel an hour and a half to visit my family after I moved to Halifax and the entire journey we would listen to the radio. I would fall asleep to it and discover music through it; sometimes I think I forget how much it means to me. I was ready to apply this passion through my time on the course.

Throughout the project, you’ve been working on your own radio shows, what have inspired your direction with these and can you tell us about the themes of your shows?

H: My group’s show is about DJing and how to break into the industry. I am always looking for guidance on the internet on how to start gigging and getting out there so we thought we’d shape a show around this struggle and hopefully help others with it too.

V: The topic of our show is ‘transitions’. When people hear the term ‘transition’, they tend to think of gender transition. However, there are three of us in my team and all of us have unique experiences of transitional periods in our lives. For me, I experienced it in relation to my gender, another one of us had a baby which changed her life a lot, and the other member of my group had a big career change. So we wanted to address this vast theme in our piece.

Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed? 

H: The biggest development I’ve noticed is how our friendships have flourished as a group over the project. I’ve loved the teamwork aspect of the course as it’s really allowed us to get to know each other and we all get along so well.

V: On the first day of the course, I was in my own head and couldn’t even speak out loud to the group. However, I have come out of my shell so much and really pushed myself to chat to everybody and get to know them. I feel sad that the course is nearly over now after growing in confidence with everybody and making some great friends with people I would never usually meet.

What will you take from the Radio Course moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards? 

H: It’s given me such a boost of confidence and motivation to enjoy the creative scene in Manchester more. It’s also confirmed how much I want to work in a creative role.

V: I agree with Helena; my confidence has grown huge amounts. Also, I can’t wait to take the knowledge I have gained through the course with me in terms of sound set-ups and exploring the Reaper software. My dream job of sound-editing or voice acting no longer feels like a dream; it feels so much more reachable now.

If you could have any guest on your own radio show, who would it be?

H: I think it would have to be Annie Mac. I would love to be her mate and it would be so cool to flip the dynamic of her being a presenter, to her being a guest on a show.

V: I have two people I’d love to interview on a show. The first one would be Matthew Mercer, who is a big voice actor. It would be nice to chat to him about his journey from being a nerdy kid that played video games, to being one of the biggest video game voice actors. The second one would be my partner’s mother. She is such a lovely person and has been through so much in her life, both good and bad. It would be great to sit down with her and let her story be told.

Find out more about our Radio Course here and explore our future projects here. If you like the look of any of them, drop our lovely Engagement team an email at projects@reformradio.co.uk.

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MAES Projects

HIGH RISE (FUNDED BY MAES)

Interested in blending your passion for radio with your surroundings? High Rise is a three week creative writing course focused on taking a closer look at the gentrification of Greater Manchester. This project is funded by Manchester Adult Education Service.

Throughout the course you can expect to develop your skills in public speaking, alongside the technical aspects of designing a radio drama. When doing so, you will have the opportunity create soundscapes to underscore your dramas. You will gain great experience in building well-rounded characters and writing dialogue to form your drama pieces.

Take a look at the flyer below for full details of the course and how to get involved.

Hop behind the scenes of one of our creative writing courses below and check out what we got up to.

Meet Chris, who took part in our latest High Rise and read about their experience at Reform here.

Listen to our most recent round of participants’ Reform Radio show below.

Find out about our other free creative courses here. If any of them take your fancy, get in touch with our lovely Engagement Team on projects@reformradio.co.uk to get involved.

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Opportunity Training Opportunity

SUPPORT TO SUCCEED – The Growth Company

link here

SUPPORT TO SUCEED

Support to Succeed, is different from any other programme out there in that it isn’t designed primarily to get people into work. It’s more a programme for individual’s personal development, so we’re trying to get people more active in their community by learning new skills, maybe some volunteering or work placements (or a paid job if that’s what they want to do!). They can stay on the programme for as long as they want/need us, and they will get one-to-one support to build their confidence and achieve their own goals.

Just email us at supporttosucceed@gcemployment.uk with your name and phone number and we will take care of the rest 

There are also loads of fantastic courses like communication skills, team working, nature wellbeing, arts & crafts etc.

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blog Featured Projects MAES Projects

BEHIND THE SCENES: POSITIVE FREQUENCIES (FUNDED BY MAES & THE MANCHESTER SOCIAL PRESCRIBING DEVELOPMENT FUND)

Over the past six weeks, we’ve been joined by a remarkable group of participants for our Positive Frequencies course. Funded by MAES and The Manchester Social Prescribing Development Fund, this programme is led by our Well-being Manager and trained psychotherapist, Dan. Throughout the project, our participants tried the likes of journalling, creative writing and more to express themselves in a safe place.

We caught up with one of our attendees, Devika, to find out what she got up to and what she’ll be taking with her upon completing Positive Frequencies.

Please can you introduce yourself, your pronouns and what you’re up to at the moment outside of the course.

Devika: Hey, I’m Devika, my pronouns are she/her and I’m currently in a transition period, so I’m using my time to taste new things and develop skills. I had such a great experience doing Positive Frequencies, that I’m now enrolled on Reform’s Radio Course too.

How do you think your friends would describe you in three words?

Devika: Talkative, dramatic and funny.

What’s your favourite thing to do to make you feel good/as a form of self care?

Devika: As someone who struggles to switch off, I’ve been practicing self care by simply taking time to rest. If I need to engage myself, I’ll
read and research self-development based subjects, but in a comfortable space.

Did you have much experience of using writing in your well-being practice already? If so, what’s your favourite element of this or what have you enjoyed about trying it for the first time?

Devika: I hadn’t really thought about the intersection between writing and well-being before, even though I’m interested in both subjects. I’ve really enjoyed the discussions surrounding wellness and how different people articulate their experiences in different ways. Each session has provided me with extensive ‘food for thought’.

What prompted you to get involved in our Positive Frequencies course?

Devika: I’ve known about Reform Radio for a couple of years and been admiring the work they do from afar. As someone who is
trying to figure out her next steps, I thought what better opportunity than to get involved in a course and learn some skills that could change the trajectory of my career.

Let’s throw it back to your first day on the course versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed?

Devika: On the first day of the course, I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t really done anything like this before so I didn’t know how to
respond to people’s experiences. As the sessions went on, this radically changed. Positive Frequencies has been such a safe space for myself and others to learn, unlearn and relearn.

What will you take from Positive Frequencies moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards?

Devika: I’ve learnt that being in thought-provoking discussions is an
energising experience. It has made me want to look into conducting facilitation myself. Some of the topics and themes we covered have also inspired me to build a life coaching business. I’d like to say a massive thanks to Reform Radio and everyone involved for helping me think more creatively.

Listen to the radio show put together by the participants of Positive Frequencies here.

If you like the sound of our Positive Frequencies course, find out more about the project here. You can also reach out to our lovely Engagement team on projects@reformradio.co.uk to find out about our other courses.

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MAES Projects

POSITIVE FREQUENCIES (FUNDED BY MAES)

It’s time to exhale and take some time to turn inwards. Take a look at Positive Frequencies course, led by our incredible Well-being Manager and trained psychotherapist Dan.

This programme takes place over the course of six weeks and is funded by MAES. The project is designed to guide participants through a journey of self-reflection through the likes of creative writing and self-expression, in a safe space.

Following the course, participants are also offered access to a range of free pastoral and well-being support through our designated teams here at Reform.

If this sounds like something you can get behind, take a look at the flyer below for the full details of how to get involved.

Head over to our behind-the-scenes blog post here to meet Positive Frequencies participant, Uyama, and read what they got up to in the last round of the project.

Listen in to the show one of our previous Positive Frequencies groups created for the airwaves below.

Find out about our other free creative courses here. If any of them take your fancy, get in touch with our lovely Engagement Team on projects@reformradio.co.uk to get involved.

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blog Featured Projects MAES

BEHIND THE SCENES: DJ SESSIONS (FUNDED BY MAES)

We’ve wrapped up another two incredible weeks of DJ Sessions at Reform Radio, with our good friends Do As You Please, funded by MAES. Over the course of the project, our participants have been getting hands-on experience in beatmatching, self promotion and more. It’s been a lively time in the space throughout the programme, with all of our participants building their own unique sets and styles behind the decks. The project closed with a brilliant celebratory showcase, for all of the new DJs to share what they’d been working on.

We have already witnessed some remarkable successes from the project’s cohort since they completed this collection of sessions. Our participants have been getting stuck into playing sets around Manchester, with support from our partners GigPig, the city’s live music marketplace app. Meanwhile, we were delighted to hear an individual from the project who had been unemployed for two years, following mental health struggles, neurodiversity access barriers and a history of offending and substance abuse has since been offered a job.

Their support worker stated: “I genuinely believe that without this course, [he] wouldn’t have had the confidence to attend his job interview independently and secure paid employment. It gave him a purpose, got him back into a healthy routine, reduced his social isolation and helped equip him with the necessary skills to succeed in life”. We pass on our huge congratulations to this participant, and we can’t wait to hear where their course-mates end up heading following the course.

In the meantime, we got to know Scott and and Bola who took part in the course to find out their favourite things about DJing and what their plans were moving forward from here.

Tell us your name, pronouns, and what you enjoy getting up to in your free time.

S: My name is Scott, AKA DJ Tez, and my pronouns are he/him. In my free time I play a lot of football as a Manchester United supporter, and I produce and listen to a huge range of music.

B: My performance name is Bolli Bubbles, my pronouns are she/they and I’m non-binary. I love listening to music and I go to the gym a lot.

How would your friends describe you in 3 words?

S: I would say definitely loyal and caring, but I can’t think of a third one!

B: For me, I would say effervescent, uplifting and chaotic.

If you’re heading to a DJ set, what’s your favourite genre to go and see and why?

S: Definitely house music.

B: I love going to see techno, disco, and specifically Italo-disco.

Did you have much experience in DJing before? If so, what’s your favourite thing about it?

S: Most of my experience was computer-based virtual DJing where I was able to do everything automatically behind a keyboard. So this has been a new challenge, learning to do everything myself behind the decks. My favourite thing about DJing is finding new combinations of tracks to blend. I love it when you blend two tracks you’d never think to combine, but then you do and they work amazingly together.

B: I didn’t have any experience directly in DJing, but I spend a lot of time dancing and experiencing music from that point of view. My favourite thing about learning to DJ has been understanding which tracks work together side by side in a set, rather than just playing any songs I like.

What prompted you to get involved with the DJ Course?

S: I wanted to refine the skills I had already built through virtual DJing and be able to translate those into real life. I also have a lot of DJs in my family who inspired me to get involved.

B: I have a lot of experience in dancing, performing and attending and holding events. So the natural progression for me was to learn how to DJ so I have it under my belt for working in this industry.

Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed? 

S: I’ve learnt so much more about finding the right time to drop the music and feel much more confident performing the skills I would have previously done on my computer automatically.

B: A lot of the things I would do when I dance makes sense now. I’ve really learnt to feel the music, and trust the beat of it to know when to blend.

What will you take from the DJ course moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards? 

S: I can’t wait to apply the practical skills I have built in real life scenarios. Moving forward, I would love to go and play at events as a DJ personality all over the place. I don’t want to based in one city; I’d love to get to a point where I get invited to specific locations to play.

B: I really want to keep people moving and play sets that get people dancing. I am super eager to travel with my work and experience new places through my DJ practice.

Do you have any role models on the DJ/music scene that inspire your practice and why?

S: In terms of the way he manages the crowd and the decks, I would have to say James Hype.

B: DJ Paulette, for sure. I also am a big fan of a DJ called LEXII, who always dresses incredibly and is a model come DJ.

What’s your favourite tune to close a set with?

S: I don’t think I could choose a singular song because it depends so much on the crowd and how they’re feeling. It’s impossible to choose one record – there’s so many I love.

B: Right now there’s a song I’m loving, it’s a Brazilian remix of a disco song and I’m hoping to close my set at the showcase with this track.

Who would your dream B2B be with? 

S: Either James Hype or The Martinez Brothers.

B: I recently saw a DJ in Berlin and he closed the Horsemeat Disco. It was jivey, loud, bangy disco tunes and I was thinking how insane it would be to do a B2B set with him.

Find out about our future projects here. If you like the look of any of them, drop our lovely Engagement team an email at projects@reformradio.co.uk.