Station House Media Unit - Access All Areas
Station House Media Unit
Access All Areas
Station House Media Unit (SHMU) is a community-led charitable organisation that aims to encourage and promote film-making, radio and magazine development in and around Aberdeen’s former Social Inclusion Partnership – the Great Northern Partnership.
| Giving open access to high quality training and resources to develop and experiment in the mediums, SHMU aims to give local residents the added confidence and tools to express themselves positively about issues that affect them personally. |
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Funded by the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) Informal Sector Fund, SHMU’s Access All Areas project aims to enable young people from under-privileged backgrounds to partake in music-making opportunities. The focus of the 800 workshops that will take place over the course of the project will be on enjoyment and building confidence, social skills and personal development through singing sessions, instrumental tuition including band work, songwriting and film-score composition, and recording. Based on demand, rock and pop (and some dance) are the main musical styles, but the young people are encouraged to express interest in any genre.
Since receiving YMI funding, there has been a 42% increase in participation. There are currently around 35 regular participants, and this is expected to rise rapidly over the next few months as the project becomes more widely known.
Although no performances have taken place as of yet, the participants will be given the chance to perform at gigs within their own communities, and also at a the prestigious city centre venue the Lemon Tree. They will also have the opportunity to record the gigs for broadcast on the shmuFM community radio station or for video, and to interview each other about the musical process. The young musicians will then be supported and signposted to further training, education or employment.
Through its work, SHMU’s Access All Areas not only increases the confidence and develops transferable skills of the individual participants, but it also promotes good intergenerational relations and breaks down territorial attitudes between communities.
Tillydrone
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Music leader Bill Thomson is working with a seven-piece all-girl band that goes by the name of ‘Denim’. A gig is planned in Donbank Primary School in October, and they are investigating other venues for further performances. |
Bill is working on developing opportunities for the girls to perform with live musicians, and they have already taken part in recording sessions at the Lemon Tree’s Music Development Facility.
There is also close collaboration with the newly appointed community worker at Tilly Youth Project (TYP), which has resulted in providing access to a number of facilities for young people, including rehearsal space, access to tuition within TYP and the Lads Club, and a music room at TYP with music software and recording facilities. A resource pack has been produced informing youngsters of these facilities.
Middlefield
Around 20 young people are working with music leader Mike Fisk, mainly focused on guitar, singing and songwriting. The participants are working towards a performance in the local Church Hall just before Christmas. Taster sessions have been provided and approximately 15 more potential new participants attended.
Woodside
Music leader Andrew Brown recently started and has been doing the preparative groundwork in the Woodside area over the summer break, including consulting with young people and liaising with local youth groups. Areas in need of development have been identified and a full programme of activities will begin shortly.
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If you would like to find out more about Station House Media Unit, visit the SHMU website.
For more information about the Youth Music Initiative, visit the YMI section of our website. | |