The idea
Broomhill Library is a volunteer-led charity in the West of Sheffield. They have applied for funding to clear out their basement and turn it into a useable space - we want to take this opportunity to make sure it gets the best use possible.
We secured £5000 from a national charity called UnLtd to complete this project, and we need to raise £100 to unlock this funding.
Sound-proofing, instruments, recording equipment, speakers and DJ decks will kit this room out into a modern music-making facility where children and young people can learn the kinds of music they want to play. One-to-one lessons will be £5 per 20 minutes - half of the national average price (ISM survey, 02/17).
This project will also benefit the library - boosting footfall as children wait for lessons, increasing the rental value of the space for local community choirs, and cementing them as community hubs with diverse learning opportunities.
What we'll deliver
- Make Broomhill Library into a space where children can learn music
- Keep lessons as affordable as possible
Why it's a great idea
Not every school has the capacity to host music lessons, so we need to rethink the way we deliver them. 1 million children in the UK can't afford music lessons lessons, with 600,000 having no chance at school. We believe this needs to change.
Libraries in Sheffield have been suffering over the last few years - in 2013-14, Sheffield had more library visits per person than the UK average. 1 year later, the UK average fell by 8.5% but Sheffield's average fell by a staggering 41%.
We need to protect our community hubs, and this project could be a fantastic way to do so - if successful, it could lead the way for more libraries to extend their provision with diverse learning opportunities.
Steps to get it done
- Buy and install all the studio equipment
- Hold a launch event for the new studio and diversify to music production teaching
- Renovate and soundproof the library basement
- Launch piano and guitar lessons in the upstairs room of the library
£5 - Thanks! You'll a nice email from the founder of Student Teaching, Chris, and the warm fuzzy feeling of helping a good cause.
£10 - Inspirational levels of love! You're welcome to a free music lesson on an instrument of your choice.
£15 - That's enough for a ukulele, thank you! We'll send you a handwritten letter of thanks, plus a free music lesson or studio time.
£30 - Generosity at it's finest! As well as a free music lesson and a hand-written letter, you'll get 30 seconds of piano music composed and recorded all about you.
£50 - You are a shining example of humanity. You can have all the above, as well as a one-minute piece written and recorded in a style or genre of your choice.
£100 - Words don't even cut it, so you'll get your thanks in person - a home-cooked candlelit meal for you and one guest, all whilst being serenaded with relaxing piano music, as well as all of the above.
