We want to use music and technology to help children, young people, adults and people with additional needs develop skills, interact and express themselves through music and our events.
What we'll deliver:
- Deliver music workshops from Sound Engineering and Event Management to DJ and percussion
- Create a network of Croydon-based musicians, musical community groups and events
- Provide free studiotime and workshop access to community and charity groups
Why it's a great idea:
Croydon is well known for producing some of the biggest names in the music industry. Up until recently, the cost of putting a studio together ran way too high to be considered as a potential community-based project. The idea of providing free recording services to musicians and artists was not a widespread ideal for most.
The Croydon Community Music Studio will provide free workshops and basic recording services for musicians and artists to record their works. The facility will be created and developed using local grant funding opportunities, private-public partnerships and local donors and volunteers.
Residents will be able to book and use the facility without charge, in return for placing their works in the Public Domain. Funding, training and education, along with legal and professional services, can be provided. Such an approach removes some of the obstacles that otherwise would hinder the success of many community-based recording studios.
Steps to get it done:
- Printing of workshop materials
- Project facilitation and utilities for 12 months
- Purchase sound recording equipment
- Run our first workshop
- Soundproofing, signage and fit-out
We started Beats & Eats in the aftermath of the Croydon riots as a free-entry, multi-genre Croydon community event, raising money and working with various local charities and groups. Our events also created a much-needed platform for local musicians and food vendors to reach their home-town audience.
In June 2016, we hosted our first Big Lunch in partnership with local charity CRISIS. We worked closely with some of their members and realised that with some training, we could really empower their lives just through working at our events.
Our workshops will cover the whole event process, from event management and food handling, to artist development and DJ training. After the completion of each workshop, our participants will then be able to put their skills into practice at our Beats & Eats events and at some point in the future, our own festival!
We want the Croydon Community Music Studio to become the cultural and creative hub for everyone in Croydon.
