The HERchester Documentary is finally out on Reform’s Youtube Channel. An exclusive look into the BTS of the HERchester Cypher, a finale performance that wrapped up an 8 week long MCing and lyrical writing workshop.
The project was funded by Arts Council England and brought together women, non-binary people, transgender women and those that identify as women from 4 different cities: Manchester, Morecambe, Blackpool and Sheffield. We teamed up with RiteTrax, House of Wingz and More Music who accommodated and guided participants in their respective cities.
Guided by interviews and shots from the rehearsals and cypher, the documentary gives us all the opportunity to understand the appeal of this amazing project. Participants share why they joined, their highlights and what they gained from this workshop. From the project being a safe space to grow to feeling supported and inspired by one another, the documentary’s narrative emphasises the importance of creating a space for underrepresented individuals to develop their skills in the music scene.
Watch the full documentary below.
We are very excited to announce that this Thursday 16th December at 12PM we will be taking over Arts Council England Instagram stories to shout about this amazing project.
This radio show is a collection of memories and advice from the young people of Tameside. The group have filled in this one hour with their own unique experiences of finding the Comedy in Life. Expect a conversation on all things queer, an exclusive interview with founder of Tameside’s Global Grooves and more.
The show was created by the participants of Tameside Futures, a project in partnership with the Prince’s Trust and Tameside City Council.
We have been blown away by the number of nominations and wins this year. From Podcasting to Projects, the awards have shone a light on Reform’s multiple departments.
Youth Music Awards 2021
The Youth Music Awards celebrates the most forward-thinking projects and individuals making, learning and earning in music. From artists and entrepreneurs to grassroots projects and young leaders, the event recognises an exciting range of trailblazers from across the scene.
Reform Radio were nominated for 3 Youth Music awards; Outstanding Project Award, Outstanding Act Award & Live Performance Award. Scroll down to find out more about each category.
WINNER : OUTSTANDING PROJECT AWARD
The Outstanding Project award celebrates organisations that push the boundaries and promote inclusive music education. We had two projects nominated this year, Soundcamp and Rhythm Lab Records‘ Career Starter and we are very excited to say that we won in both categories.
8 finalists of the first Soundcamp project with their mentors – Jenna G, Danny Fahey (Thirty Pound Gentleman) and Werkha.
A bit of background about the two projects. Soundcamp is a programme in partnership with Thirty Pound Gentleman and Youth Music, aiming to discover talent in Greater Manchester. The bootcamp aims to find 12 young people who have shown the potential of making a career in the music industries. They embark on a three-month intense mentorship with working musicians, to create their brand, new music and showcase at an industry event. Since the project began, they have collaborated with Mr Scruff, performed at We Out Here Festival and MIF Festival Square, and tracks have been broadcast on BBC.
Rhythm Lab Records
Rhythm Lab Records is Reform Radio’s in-house record label, that was originally an Arts Council funded project which strived to explore the art of collaboration and foster new creative relationships. As part of the Career Starter project, Reform Radio handed over their record label to five young people for six months. Having a budget of £400 per artist for five artists that they sign to the label, the group have taken on the roles of A&R, Business Affairs, Talent Development and PR and Marketing. With 100% control of the social media platforms, signings, budget, and key decision making, this truly is a ground-breaking project, offering the young group a once in a lifetime opportunity that will propel them into the Manchester music industry.
WINNER : OUTSTANDING ACT AWARD
Snatching a win for the Outstanding Act Award was Bolton born rapper Superlative. Recognised as being one of the best young rappers in the UK scene right now, Superlative aka Corey Brown, has been making waves in the industry for a while now. We are very proud to say that Corey joined our first Soundcamp project in 2018, made it to the final 8 and has been absolutely unstoppable. In 2020, the rapper collaborated with Manchester legend Mr Scruff on Reform Radio’s Co-Lab Theory programme, and has featured on multiple major festival line ups such as Green Man and Castlegate.
RUNNER UP : LIVE PERFORMANCE AWARD
The Live Performance Award is allocated to an artist from a Youth Music project who has delivered an outstanding live performance. Nominated for this award was Soundcamp 20′ alumni Sarah Angel who has performed multiple times in Reform’s studios.
The quote from Sarah Angel’s nominator perfectly encapsulates her intoxicating stage presence – “You can feel her getting lost in the power and emotion of her own music, it is utterly compelling and truly beautiful. This sort of performance without an audience is tricky yet Sarah creates her own atmosphere, making you feel instantly like it’s a live experience. It’s a really amazing achievement and a real skill.”
Manchester Culture Awards
Showcasing Manchester’s best in culture, arts and creativity, the Manchester Culture Awards celebrates the city’s creative heroes. Among awards like Best Performance, Best Event and Young Creative of the Year, Reform have been nominated for the People’s Choice Award and the Promotion of Environmental Sustainability Award.
WINNER : PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Reform Radio have been recognised for helping young people across Manchester through 618 sessions covering employability, digital and creative skills. Another contributing factor to the nomination was Reform’s free wellbeing support for their projects’s participants and community of over 300 DJs. We were really thrilled to receive this award and are grateful to everyone who has been working with us.
WINNER : PROMOTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
Sustainability has become one of our key focuses here at Reform over the last 2 years. As an organisation and as individuals, we were able to use our passion and energy about climate change in ways that make meaningful, effective change. It means a lot to us that our work is being recognised by the Manchester community and beyond.
Audio Production Awards
WINNER : BEST NEW PODCAST PRODUCER
The APAs, organised by AudioUK, celebrates the craft and skills behind audio production. There are 21 categories in total spanning audiobooks, podcasting and radio.
Reform Radio’s very own Podcasting Manager Olivia Swift has been nominated for Best New Podcast Producer and ended up snatching the award.
This is another award to add to her books, as early on this year the Tough Talks podcast series Olivia produced won BestSex & Relationships Podcast at the British Podcast Awards.
Reform Radio wants to once again thank everyone that has been involved in these projects. These achievements wouldn’t have been accomplished without our amazing participants, staff, partners and funders. It is a blessing to be supported by so many people and organisations and we only want to share gratitude to those contributing to our journey, so thank you.
Soundcamp is a 12 week programme that gives up and coming artists the opportunity to develop their performance and music business skills, delivered in partnership with Youth Music. The Soundcamp Spotlight series is a new feature that aims to shine the light on Soundcamp artists and share their story with our audience.
To kick off this series, we sat down with DJ, Producer, Label Owner and Project Facilitator Joe Roche.
Could you please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Joe Roche and I’m your new favourite DJ. Only messing (not really), I live in Salford and I make and play tunes for a living, which is unreal. I run an online record store, record label and event/music brand called Do As You Please.
When did your musical journey start?
My parents co-owned a nightclub that booked DJs like Utah Saints, Sasha & Nightmares on Wax in the early acid house days. I was brought up around these people and that scene so I suppose it was from about 1994.
In terms of DJ’ing and making music though coming up to the 10 year mark now, mad.
How would you describe your production and mixing style?
I like groovy party gear to be honest. Love the old Chicago/Detroit styles, French house, chunky Glasgow/Scottish style house and techno. Early 00s breakbeat as well if the crowd is up for it. Also, more recent bouncy deep and tech house, like Gene on Earth and Huerta have changed the game for me.
My style is kind of a culmination of all these influences. I like to be eclectic and versatile with my DJing, and I feel this shows in my production as well. I’d love to have a track of my own to play at any time of day or night, in any type of venue.
At the end of last year you participated in Reform’s Soundcamp bootcamp, a project to cultivate 16 of Manchester’s promising artists. Why did you decide to apply for this programme?
I finished my DJ & production degree last Summer, and I was looking for my next step into the industry following that. The programme just seemed perfect, for real life, guided mentoring and learning. I’ve worked with Reform since 2016 as a participant and I know the quality of the courses is always high, but this seemed like a bit of a right of passage as an artist and I was incredibly keen to be amongst the local talent who were going for the positions.
What were your Soundcamp highlights?
You know what, the whole thing was absolutely class. As cliche as it is, every session and every little success for not only me, but for everyone else I was lucky enough to be on the programme with, was incredible. Having different mentors from different disciplines teaching you all their industry tips was definitely a highlight. The initial bootcamp process was unreal as well. Having like 30 creatives in a room with all the tools they’d need to create tunes and just setting them off is easily the best idea ever made.
The final showcase of everyone sharing their work is something I’ll never forget, too. Unbelievable talent, and all on our doorstep.
Soundcamp Showcase at We Out Here Online & On Air 2021
Since the Soundcamp Showcase, you performed a mega one hour live set at Manchester International Festival. How was that experience?
Well it was mega, obviously! The whole experience was amazing and it was nice to do it in the place I live. All my other larger event experiences have been elsewhere, so having a lot of familiar people and places around me was ace.
I actually managed to produce the whole set in about 4 weeks, which is something I’m really proud of. This set was following the previous live set I did for We Out Here Festival a few weeks before, which meant everything was really fresh and I had the drive to up the level of my performance.
The stage and crowd were class and to be honest it was a really proud moment for me all round.
I even made the visuals!
You’ve frequently been involved in Reform’s projects, both asa participant and as a facilitator. DJ sessions has been your most recent facilitation project, where you’ve been teaching participants DJ skills and helping them connect with potential promoters. What do you think draws you to facilitation?
Well, I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue music and production as a career, and now I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with an amazing company, teaching people everything I’ve learnt to better their lives and careers. The industry isn’t a level playing field, but there’s plenty of work there, people just need a leg up and some confidence with what they’re doing. I love sharing my eureka moments from over the years and to be honest, I learn as much as I teach a lot of the time. Plus it’s a right laugh and you meet about 8 million people every time you do a project.
What are you hoping your next steps will be?
I’d like to get some serious production work done now I’ve settled after uni and Soundcamp. Everything was too up in the air over the past 12-18 months to get my head down and find a flow with making music. I’d love to get some more label signings under my belt, new club residencies and hopefully expand into having a team representing/helping me as an artist in terms of a manager and agent.
Anything upcoming that you would like to shout out?
Yeah, we’ve got an event at Eastern Bloc on December 11th which I’m well buzzing about.Vinyl only, loads of mint up and coming DJs, come through its gonna be well good. Any Leeds heads reading this we’ve also got Distrikt booked on Tuesday 21st for the Do As You Please Christmas do. Next year loads of events gonna be happening so keep an eye on the socials and www.doasyouplease.uk.
Also we have another vinyl release scheduled for next year on the label. Massive release in my mind, can’t wait to share that with the world.
What was the last event you went to?
Back to Basics last weekend, prohibition theme and incredible line up. Also have to note, went to fabric for Craig Richards, Francesco Del Garda, Bradley Zero and loads of other heads at the start of the month and that was INCREDIBLE. fabric is one of the best clubs I’ve been to hands down, only £15 a ticket as well, buzzing.
Are there any local artists/musicians/collectives that you would like to shout out?
Yeah, I’ve been playing at Joshua Brooks quite regularly recently in the club and bar, massive shout to Sharples and the guys down there for having me and for what they’ve done with the venue. Absolutely love the space and the whole team are wicked and an absolute pleasure to work with.
Big shout to my friends at Surco, who invited me to play and celebrate their 6th birthday in October, unbelievable achievement from them and buzzing to see where they go.
Finally a huge thanks to all the Reform, Rhythm Lab and Soundcamp staff and artists that have made this chapter of my journey so class and memorable. You’re all ace, long live Reform.
And finally…What has made you chuckle recently?
Back to Basics 30th birthday at the Warehouse in Leeds. Loads of wicked characters and the whole night was absolutely class, but just bonkers and well funny. Also watched Jason Manford taking a scam call and having them on today, which was hilarious.
Since Thursday 12th August, we have been releasing episodes from the High Rise series on a weekly basis. We are excited to announce that all 11 episodes are out on Podfollow and Spotify.
High Rise is a European Social Fund 12 week creative writing radio drama project.
During these 12 weeks, MBE appointed Louise Wallwein guided each participant to create their own episode. All 11 episodes explored Greater Manchester’s gentrification.
Listen to all episodes below.
EP1: Hong Kong to Manchester
Written and produced by Farwa Naseer.
Hong Kong to Manchester explores themes of race, class and cultural differences. It showcases how humans connect regardless of this and celebrates Manchester’s diversity and evolving skyline.
EP2: Rain, Thunder and Fire
Written by Connor Forsyth.
An argument over the changing city, brought about by an artwork depicting it aflame. The High Rise buildings divide the past and future of the city. A story of sorrow, conflict, and passion.
EP3: Pushed Out Again
Written and produced by Jonathan Williams.
As the echoes of a compulsory order from the past linger, a teenager struggles with the uncertainty looming over his family with history threatening to repeat itself.
EP4: Nothing & Everything
Written & produced by Tom Braithwaite.
Guy, abandoned by the world, searching for the man responsible, runs into the arms of fate and a whirlwind romance with his rival’s daughter.
EP5: Same City. Total Opposites
by Joe Johnstone.
‘Same City. Total Opposites’ follows one boy, who is torn from his mother and is introduced to the tower blocks of Manchester.
EP6: No Power Great Responsibility
Written and directed by Alapelode Oluwatobi.
In ‘No Power Great Responsibility’, a builder fights for the freedoms of his family as a big Construction firm kicks local builders out of business.
EP7: Block 2 Block
Written and directed by Jozef Bryer.
‘Block 2 Block’ is a story of one young adult adapting back to normal life. He encounters many obstacles in his way, as he navigates two different environments.
EP8: A Day In the Life
Written by Alanis Leah MacDonald.
“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination”. In this episode, Gregory and Samantha are in a relationship and need a new home. Then the Manchester high rises are built. What will happen next?
EP9: Floor 129
Written and produced by Alex Ingham-Brophy.
This episode asks the question, what happens when you want more from life ? Everything’s tested. Relationships, moralities and sense of self-worth are all at risk, and it all starts on Floor 129.
EP10: A Tale from Two Sides
Written & directed by Maddie Zygmunt
Two Men, One Address, this is the story of the class divide.
EP11: Mourning Manchester, Mourning Malik
by Zhahava Waseem
“A drama rooted in grime, simplified in rhyme, inspired by the experience of both yours and mine, is it really one of crime? I mean, some of you may think it’s fine. Malik and Myles, Posh and Poor, one gets wasted and one goes to the floor. A story of friendship, a story of fraud. So sit back and relax, you won’t get bored.”
The High Rise series releases one episode every Thursday on Podfollow and Spotify.
The series was born out of a 12 week creative writing radio drama project funded by European Social Fund.
During these 12 weeks, MBE appointed Louise Wallwein guided each participant to create their own episode. All 11 episodes explored Greater Manchester’s gentrification.
Since the last blog post, 4 more episodes have been released. Read on to listen and learn more about each episode.
EP8: A Day In the Life
Written by Alanis Leah MacDonald.
“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination”. In this episode, Gregory and Samantha are in a relationship and need a new home. Then the Manchester high rises are built. What will happen next?
EP9: Floor 129
Written and produced by Alex Ingham-Brophy.
This episode asks the question, what happens when you want more from life ? Everything’s tested. Relationships, moralities and sense of self-worth are all at risk, and it all starts on Floor 129.
EP10: A Tale from Two Sides
written & directed by Maddie Zygmunt
Two Men, One Address, this is the story of the class divide.
EP11: Mourning Manchester, Mourning Malik (Final episode)
by Zhahava Waseem
“A drama rooted in grime, simplified in rhyme, inspired by the experience of both yours and mine, is it really one of crime? I mean, some of you may think it’s fine. Malik and Myles, Posh and Poor, one gets wasted and one goes to the floor. A story of friendship, a story of fraud. So sit back and relax, you won’t get bored.”
HERchester is an 8 week long MCing and lyrical writing series of workshops for women, non-binary people, transgender women and those that identify as women. This year’s project took place in 4 different northern cities: Manchester, Blackpool, Morecambe and Sheffield.
The project was led by Mancunian rapper and vocalist OneDa who helped the group create their own original verses. On top of that the participants learnt how to deliver and perform these creations, as the pinnacle of the HERchester project is a cypher, filmed and recorded by Reform Radio. The cypher was more than a success and we couldn’t have asked for more. The energy, artistry and support brought by every single participant was incredible.
Watch the full cypher below.
The origins of HERchester lie in 2019. Funded by Arts Council England, the first edition of this project focused on bringing female MCs from Manchester together to work alongside OneDa. In this process the all female collective HERchester was formed. The collective have gone to perform both individually and collaboratively, including Manchester International Festival and We Out Here.
It has been amazing to see the project come back on a greater scale. We couldn’t have delivered HERchester without the support from the project’s funder Arts Council England, and RiteTrax, House of Wingz and More Music who accommodated and guided participants in their respective cities.
Keep your eyes peeled for a HERchester documentary featuring exclusive interviews and behind the scene content.
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting an interview between Liam MacGregor from ADHOC Records and Ergon, an exciting theatre company that is contributing to the climate conversation through their new play Ergon: The Wicked Problem.
Set in 2061, Egon: The Wicked Problem explores themes around climate change and sustainability, offering audiences a uniquely interactive experience as they investigate the future of Greater Manchester. They are given an active role as jury members to question their own morals, debate on climate change, consider geographical privilege and decide on the outcome of the show.
The show is running from Wednesday 3rd November – Saturday 6th November, in Contact’s main space.
Listen to the full show below to get an exclusive insight into the theatre company and play.
Reform are proud to be prioritising sustainability and the environment, with the goal to become a Net Carbon Zero organisation. For this year’s Earth day, we connected with 24 international artists for a 24-Hour broadcast to raise awareness for climate action. Each artist not only provided a 1 hour show, but also created a short video to encourage each individual to consider and share their climate thoughts & actions.
Additionally, one of our most recent climate conscious projects is C-change. The roundtable discussion explored what part art & culture plays in influencing people to take action, as well as the role of young people in the debate and eco-anxiety. Alongside the talks were spoken word & music performances from Kimwei McCarthy and Tito Von May in collaboration with Brighter Sound. We are excited for the rich discussion to be played at this year’s COP26, a climate change national conference.
You can catch the two part show on Reform’s airwaves, part one on 2nd November from 4PM-5PM and part 2 on 9th November airing at the same time.
Reform’s climate focused work has been recognised at the 2021 People’s Culture Awards, where we were nominated for the Promotion of Environmental Sustainability Award.
If you are interested in doing a show with a focus on climate action and sustainability, please give us a shout.
This is Positively, Passionate Personalities, a show born out of a project funded by The Prince’s Trust and Manchester City Council. Positive Frequencies is a week long project focusing on personal development, creative writing and self-expression.
The show delves deep into major Manchester organisations, including The Factory Academy (MIF), Bearded Fellows & SharpFutures. From access and education to inspiration and the practicalities of employment. Listen to the full show below.
The crew from last week’s Positive Frequencies have done it again, providing us with a show dedicated to mental health. For #WorldMentalHealthDay, the members from the well-being focused project guided us on a journey of exploring the human condition through the character of X.
Creative MCR was born out of the Salford City College traineeship, Reform’s third partnership with them. The programme brought together a really fantastic group who’s support for each other was really unrivalled.
The group wanted to explore and discuss their own creative endeavours and their support for one another can be heard throughout the program. Listen below.
Free Range Youth (F.R.Y.) is a collective of aspiring creatives who have produced a radio show through Reform Radio’s Music Course that took place in our studios in September.
During the course, the group had an opportunity to take part in the creative writing, radio and music production workshops ran by Reform’s very own facilitators.
The participants used the skills learnt to create a live show showcasing their original music, spoken word and interviews with one another.
The F.R.Y. show explores the participants’ musical influences and passions, their motivation to pursue studying and producing music even after lockdown, as well as an active listening of original electronic pieces created by the attendees.
The High Rise series releases one episode every Thursday on Podfollow and Spotify.
High Rise is a 12 week creative writing radio drama project funded by European Social Fund.
During these 12 weeks, MBE appointed Louise Wallwein guided each participant to create their own episode. All 11 episodes explored Greater Manchester’s gentrification.
Since the last blog post, 4 more episodes have been released. Read on to learn more about each episode.
EP4: Nothing & Everything
Written & produced by Tom Braithwaite.
Guy, abandoned by the world, searching for the man responsible, runs into the arms of fate and a whirlwind romance with his rival’s daughter.
EP5: Same City. Total Opposites.
by Joe Johnstone.
‘Same City. Total Opposites’ follows one boy, who is torn from his mother and is introduced to the tower blocks of Manchester.
EP6: No Power Great Responsibility
Written and directed by Alapelode Oluwatobi.
In ‘No Power Great Responsibility’, a builder fights for the freedoms of his family as a big Construction firm kicks local builders out of business.
EP7: Block 2 Block
Written and directed by Jozef Bryer.
‘Block 2 Block’ is a story of one young adult adapting back to normal life. He encounters many obstacles in his way, as he navigates two different environments.
Positive Frequencies is a week of personal development, creative writing and self-expression. The purpose is to develop positive self-expression and a toolbox of wellbeing skills to help take and sustain their positive next steps.
The participants of this project have created an hour long show called #BeeWell. #BeeWell Day is a collaboration between the University of Manchester and GMCA, to celebrate young people’s wellbeing and champions their voices as we come out of the pandemic. This radio show will be included in the #BeeWell programming which is in collaboration with 42nd Street.
The Positive Frequencies’ participants explore personal thoughts, poems and songs from the attendees. They were able to express themselves on different topics like self-love, self-reflection or mental health and offer a true piece of honesty.
In the summer of 2014, the Rio Ferdinand Foundation commissioned us to help with their summer programme held at the University of Salford in Media City.
Reform worked with a group of young people between the ages of eight and 16 to develop new skills and create this one off show, based around the theme of an alien invasion in Media City.
This is an edited version of a creative consultation Reform Radio Director Sam was involved with as part of his secondment with The Rio Ferdinand Foundation.
The idea was to use the format of a Radio Show to discover what kind of activities young people from the local area would like to see in the future.
The drive of the young people involved was breathtaking and the issues they raised so passionately, especially when interviewing local councillor Richard Critchley, seemed to arise from widespread lack of provision.
Reform Radio in collaboration with Radio Regen conducted a 4-week project working with young people with little or no experience in the radio environment. The project culminated into this live 1-hour radio show that was planned, presented, produced, marketed and edited by the young people.
The show features a variety of tracks and spoken word from artists in and around Manchester.
Broken Biscuits was a project made to help young people to both express their political opinions and learn more about the political landscapes, and then to turn this new familiarity with politics into a podcast. The participants took on different roles creating the podcast, such as being a host, a member on a game show or helping to write the show.
This project was funded by the Young People’s Support Foundation, Royal Brewery Fund, and Forever Manchester.
