ArtsTrain

An award-winning, pioneering creative music programme aimed at children and young people with challenging backgrounds.

Part of the Arts Council England’s National Portfolio for 2018 - 22, ArtsTrain is a unique and pioneering creative music programme managed by Mytime Active. Our award-winning programme uses an innovative model of music making, drawing from music practice across multiple genres. Since 2008, we have helped children and young people facing challenging circumstances, to create outstanding original music. We have supported the development of thousands of young people, transforming the cultural music landscape within the London Boroughs of Bromley, Bexley and Lewisham.

We're proud of our life changing programme and its outcomes within the community. See inspiring examples of our work below.
ArtsTrain perform at the London Jazz Festival  -Sunday 19th November at 2.30pm at the Southbank Centre


Young people at our ArtsTrain academies in Bromley & Bexley have been rehearsing intensely in preparation for their London Jazz Festival performance.  The Academies were guided by Music Leaders – James and Naomi, to create their own original music. They rehearsed each week before coming together to form our London Jazz Festival Collective.  


Each year, we have a Guest Artist who visits and inspires the project, and this year it was songwriter, composer and guitarist, Dave Okumu. Dave has a wealth of experience performing in the industry, writing his own music, and writing for other artists such as Adele, Arlo Parks and Jessie Ware. Dave inspired our young ArtsTrain participants by setting the theme for the project as “Storytelling”.


In addition, to develop our musician’s physical confidence dancers and choreographer Temujin Gill lead a jazz dance workshop for the group.
All their hard work paid off as our ArtsTrain London Jazz Festival Collective performed five original songs that they had written and produced together. The Clore Ballroom at the Southbank Centre was packed, all seats filled with many people having to stand.


Big thanks to our ArtsTrain Team, Alice Hale and Annabell Pidduck for managing the project and to our wonderful Music Leaders – James and Naomi for inspiring the young people to create such heartfelt lyrics and amazing music  and Assistant Music Leader Anoushka Congdon who did an outstanding job supporting our music leaders. Anoushka is an alumni from our Bexley Academy and has been really instrumental in supporting the young people.  

Here’s a lovely quote from an audience member

"The ArtsTrain performance stands out because it is entirely led by young people. It’s different to all the other performances because they are introducing themselves and there are no adults on stage.”
 

 

Bexley College

Artstrain with CASPA

ArtsTrain runs weekly Academy music sessions in Bromley and Bexley which allows talented young people to develop their musical skills and promotes their wellbeing through songwriting and collaborating with other young musicians. This culminates in performance opportunities throughout the year. E.g: a performance in partnership with Serious at the EFG London Jazz Festival 2021 where our young people performed at The Southbank Centre.

Watch the performance at the EFG London Jazz Festival 2021 below:

What our young people say about ArtsTrain

"This project has helped me discover how to control my anger better in and out of the project and more importantly to start believing in myself."

Jaimie, 15

"When first arriving at ArtsTrain, I was not a very confident artist and I didn’t believe in my own ideas, nor how talented I could be if I put myself out there. After being pushed to put myself out there more and to develop my own style, I have been able to successfully write my own songs, arranging the accompanying parts as well. Confidence is such a great skill to have to better myself in every aspect of my life and studies, especially in music and theatre studies."

Donna, 17

ArtsTrain has given me new skills to help me with my anxiety, the breathing help to calm me down and if I’m stressed I sing and that helps me too. I have learnt that I can be more confident in what I do and to face my fears and challenge them with positivity.

Le-Troy, 16

Other Projects

Over the Christmas break some of our young people spent two days at Annerly Town Hall, Crystal Palace, writing and producing two tracks.

Listen to a track from the Crystal Palace Christmas workshop

Check out the first in our interview series: A chat with the jazz musician, Ashley Henry, who has worked closely with ArtsTrain

Read here

ArtsTrain celebrates its 10-year anniversary

Read more about the young people who have been a part of this project, and the impact it has made on their lives.

Read case studies

For more information:

Email artstrain@mytimeactive.co.uk or call 020 8323 1707.

Visit the ArtsTrain website

 

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