The Music Works is a registered music charity based in Gloucestershire, transforming young people’s lives through music and helping them pursue their dreams and aspirations. We are proud to have been working with the charity since April 2019.
For many young people music can be the key to unlocking their potential, yet many face barriers to making music. The charity work with young people to break down these barriers and empower them through music. The ambition of the charity is to ensure that every child and young adult in Gloucestershire has the right facilities and opportunities to pursue their passion in music, regardless of background, economic barriers, life condition or circumstance, or behavioural difficulty.
In early 2021, The Music Works is hoping to launch Gloucestershire’s first and only fully inclusive community music hub (The Hub) for young people. It will be an iconic destination that’s shaped by the community, where young people can take part, be supported, inspired, empowered and learn to make positive choices in their lives. It will focus on young people living in challenging circumstances and will have specialist equipment and a sensory music room so that all young people can make their own music.
One of the positives that has arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the coming together of communities and neighbourhoods and this has been very evident amongst the young people that The Music Works support. For some young people whose home life is very chaotic, the pandemic has been particularly hard for them with rises in domestic violence and mental health issues. For many young people, The Music Works has been the only service that they have been engaging with and this has reinforced, more than ever, that there is a vital role for The Hub to play in supporting young people and providing them with a safe but exciting space to come together.
It is expected that more than 2,000 young people from across Gloucestershire and beyond will use The Hub, coming to meet other like-minded young musicians as well as industry professionals. It will provide opportunities to make music from first access through to supporting emerging talent into the music industry. It will be a regional learning centre for inclusive music and studio engineering best practice; training up a new generation of young, cultural leaders who will be at the heart of The Hub’s development and growth.
The Hub will be based at Kings House, Kings Square in Gloucester. It is a three-storey 1980’s property fronting the north east side of the Square which will undergo a major transformation as part of the King’s Quarter Regeneration.
The Hub will offer 680m2 of inspiring, eco-friendly and professional space comprising:
- Two premium recording studios
- Two commercial-grade production suites
- A sensory music room with specialist equipment for disabled, deaf and hearing impaired young people
- 2 practice rooms
- A learning room
- A chill-out area with kitchen and reception
- A flexible events area
- Office space
Virtus has been supporting The Music Works since April 2019, helping to shape the agreements with the Council for the lease of the property, supporting successful grant applications to Arts Council England, guiding the charity through the Public Contracts Regulations, appointment of consultants, procurement of a design and build contractor, value engineering and will be acting as Contract Administrator and Quantity Surveyor during construction.
Works are scheduled to start on site in early August 2020 with a completion scheduled for early 2021.
This worthwhile charity is seeking funding support for new musical equipment for The Hub and if you would like to support it too you can gift here.
