DCMS Rehearsal Spaces for Young People

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has invested £440,000 nationally in the Rehearsal Spaces for Young People initiative, with the goal of creating  music rehearsal spaces for young people in a range of urban and rural areas of England experiencing multiple deprivation.

“Living here it’s impossible to get anywhere so it’s important that this comes to us” (Participant).

CYMAZ is managing the mobile outreach part of the project in Cornwall and our aim is to reach young people living in isolated communities to allow them to have access to musical instruments, equipment and opportunities.  This has been made possible through a partnership between CYMAZ, Cornwall Council Culture Team and the DCMS.  The project supports the overarching aim of CYMAZ in developing a Young People’s Music and Radio Network in Cornwall.  The delivery of this project is funded through money from Youth Music’s YMAZ grant and PAYP (Positive Activities for Young People).

In order for this to be a sustainable project, our approach is to work with delivery partners to implement a Community Development Model.  The purpose of this is to encourage continued access to musical opportunities for young people from these communities.  

We aim to achieve this through working with partners to identify “Music Champions” in each community, who will:

  • encourage their community to draw upon musical expertise and resources that already exist
  • signpost young people to other musical and performance opportunities
  • build up a resource bank of instruments, equipment and expertise within each community
  • help identify and develop funding opportunities (eg fundraising events in the community)
  • help to identify / organise suitable performance platforms including CYMAZ Radio

    • “Most of the young people in our village have had an introduction to music and various instruments when at our junior school but have dropped this interest once at secondary school. CYMAZ lessons have given them a renewed interest and encouraged them to learn new skills. Their increasing achievement and satisfaction has been evident from the expression on their faces -as well as the sound of their music!

    They were really thrilled to win ‘Ponsanooth’s Got Talent’ competition open to any individual or group within our village. They were enabled to do this through the remarkable way that Giles, is able not only to teach them, but relate to and encourage each individual. Many people have commented on the change in attitudes within our village over the last few years which some say is because of a growing respect for each other and especially between the older and younger generations. We are grateful that CYMAZ is one of a number of things that have contributed to this.” Chris Trewern, Community Volunteer working alongside the CYMAZ Music Leader.

    “So much has been achieved in so short a time. Since the performance in Helston on 10th September there has been an upsurge in community interest in Mullion. The CYMAZ group has extended to over 20 young people, necessitating the need for an increase to a 4 hour session (from the original 2 hours. All the young people are affected by rural isolation and limited opportunities. Community feedback has been extremely positive and the positive attitude shown by the young people has been extremely encouraging.” John Holdsworth – Cornwall Youth Service

    The CYMAZ sessions have created an opportunity for development that would not have been available to Emily ordinarily. We live in a very rural community and involvement in youth based activities is extremely limited. In five months she has gone from being unable to play a single chord of the guitar, to participating and playing full pieces. I’ve been surprised and delighted how her confidence has grown over this period. The sessions have challenged and stretched her but in a very supportive and constructive way. I can’t thank CYMAZ enough for their involvement in this project.’ Parent

CYMAZ is currently working in the following rural communities:

  • Ponsanooth
  • Mawnan Smith
  • Mullion
  • St Keverne
  • Pensilva
  • Millbrook
  • Looe

If you are interested in supporting supporting young people’s music making in your community, please contact us on 01209 211155 or jane@cymaz.co.uk to chat about how you can help.

Read more about the Rehearsal Spaces initiative on the DCMS Website.

DCMS Rehearsal Spaces for Young People