Organised by the community, for the community, this programme of workshops and events will be led by our local team of trained events volunteers, as part of a national community music programme of Our Big Gig EXTRA activities throughout 2015.

From April 2015 onwards, there will be a series of free music workshops for young people in Tower Hamlets. These workshops will combine contemporary art forms with the cultural traditions of the local communities. There will be workshops in a range of urban music genres such as DJing, music programming, vocals, beatboxing, as well as a range of traditional and contemporary instruments. Participants will create their own musical piece to showcase at the EXTRA Tower Hamlets event in July.

On Saturday 11th July we will hold the EXTRA Tower Hamlets music event in the Art Pavilion, Mile End Park. This will be a free, family-friendly event showcasing local talent, offering music workshops and performances, arts activities and stalls.

What we'll deliver:

• By offering fun and creative activities, the programme will offer opportunities for local people to:
• engage with diverse communities, building on community cohesion
• make friends and build confidence, reducing social isolation
• skill-share and knowledge-share
• utilise green spaces and local venues, creating healthier communities
• build on or learn new artistic skills, developing artistic excellence, and showcasing this work to new audiences
• learn about new cultural traditions and musical genres
• learn new skills that they can take into their professional lives, building on opportunities for the local workforce
• provide cultural opportunities that are open to all, regardless of faith, generation or culture

Why it's a great idea:

This programme is a great idea as it offers a comprehensive training programme for local volunteers in events management, in order to create opportunities for bringing people together through music via workshops and community festivals. The programme will build on existing cultural networks and partnerships within the borough, with the aim of uniting the diverse communities across the area, showcasing local talent and building skills.

Steps to get it done:

• artistic programming
• marketing
• The programme is being organised and delivered by a local team of trained events volunteers
• and volunteer management.
• event management
• Superact CIC have existing links with local community groups, workshop leaders, performers and arts organisations
• The volunteer team is supported and trained by staff from arts organisation Superact CIC
• Volunteers have been trained in:

Our Big Gig is the UK's largest community music celebration which will takes place across the UK every summer. Presented by Superact, this annual event – which was formerly known as the Bandstand Marathon - brings communities together to improve community cohesion and inspire more people to take part in music making opportunities in their local area. All Our Big Gig events are organised by local volunteers that can come from a wide range of community groups, organisations and associations.

Our Big Gig EXTRA is a programme of enhanced community music activity in areas designated as facing social integration challenges. As well as Tower Hamlets, other programmes of delivery for 2015 are being delivered in Bradford, Birmingham, Luton and Ealing.