Bexley Libraries and ArtsTrain are collaborating this summer, with local youth charity Active Horizons, to deliver songwriting opportunities for local young people aged 13 to 17 as part of Read to the Beat, this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
The programme will run from 17 to 19 August and will offer 15 young people the opportunity to work with ArtsTrain’s professional musicians to create original music and film a music video.
Inspired directly by the theme of Read to the Beat, the project will encourage participants to explore books as inspiration for writing their own original music. The project will provide a safe, creative environment where young people can develop confidence, express their lived experiences and strengthen connections with their peers and community.
Across three 4-hour sessions, participants will:
- explore books and themes from the library
- relate those themes to their own ideas and lived experiences
- transform their ideas into original lyrics and songs
The first two sessions will take place at Active Horizons’ community hub, where participants will write and record two original tracks. The final session will take place at a Bexley Library, where the group will film a professional music video.
Councillor Brian Bishop, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing:
This project will introduce local young people to the creative and cultural opportunities available through Bexley Libraries. It shows how reading can inspire creativity, storytelling and music, while celebrating young people's voices and promoting libraries as vibrant community spaces. It also extends the appeal of the Summer Reading Challenge to older children and I am looking forward to hearing the music they produce and seeing a music video filmed in one of our brilliant libraries."
Councillor Rags Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Culture said:
Since adopting our new culture strategy this year, the Council has been exploring new ways to work with local culture partners such as ArtsTrain to deliver more creative opportunities for local people. This project is a fantastic example of how the Council can connect culture with communities through its many partnerships across Bexley and help to create exciting opportunities for people to take part in and enjoy high-quality arts and culture”.
Annabell Pidduck, Programme Coordinator & Producer, ArtsTrain said:
At ArtsTrain, we believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to explore their creativity, express themselves through music and feel proud of what they create. I’m really excited to see how participants draw inspiration from books and reading, transforming stories, themes and ideas into original songs that reflect their own experiences and perspectives. We’re particularly excited that participants will have the opportunity to create a music video in their local library. We’re delighted to be partnering with Active Horizons and Bexley Libraries to give young people this unique opportunity.”
Yeukai Taruvinga , Chief Officer at Active Horizons said:
Our young people carry powerful creativity and stories; with opportunities like these, it helps them turn those stories into art. This project lets them shape their own sound, their own voice, their own future. This summer holiday, we are giving young people chances, space, tools and confidence to create something that’s truly theirs."
Recruitment to the programme is being managed by Active Horizons, an established voluntary sector partner of the Council that works with young people to create positive opportunities and experiences. Visit Active Horizons website.
To find out more about Read to The Beat, this year’s Summer Reading Challenge and the events and activities taking place for children this summer, visit our Library page.
To find out more about ArtsTrain and their regular opportunities for young people in Bexley to develop their musical talent, visit the ArtsTrain website.