Sunderland’s new employability scheme is helping people on the path to a music career – here’s how to apply
Launched by The Bunker, in Stockton Road, the Making Music Work project gives people the opportunity to improve their musical skills, gain industry experience and develop their social skills.
Weekly group sessions cover songwriting, musicianship, music technology and the industry itself, while one-on-one sessions offer a chance to enhance resumes and find internships, as well as hone musical instrument skills.
Since the project was launched in April, twelve unemployed musicians have benefited from this support, with all participants registering positive results and most of them accepting internship opportunities in local music companies, ready to find a job within Of the industry.
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One such participant, 27-year-old Sam March, has attended weekly group and individual sessions and now feels ready for the next step in his career.
He explained, “I’ve always loved music, but I wasn’t ready to go to college to study it, and I didn’t have the experience to find work in the industry.
“The last few years have been tough, but by going to the Bunker every week I now have a lot more confidence and real experience, so I can now start looking into studying music full time, or finding work in the music industry. ‘industry “.
Established in 1982, The Bunker has played an important role in the cultural and economic development of Sunderland, with thousands of local musicians of all ages accessing its support and using its facilities each year.
The maze of music studios, which have been refurbished during the lockdown, have seen an upsurge in locals, young and old, taking group lessons or individual music lessons.
Kenny Sanger, Managing Director of The Bunker, said: “The effects of the pandemic have hit the music industry hard with many local musicians out of work or looking for a career change. With the industry booming again, in addition to the festival season, there are many new opportunities for people to find work.
“We’ve done this type of project before with great success, so we’re looking forward to helping more local people again.”
The project, which runs until March 2023, is funded by Sunderland City Council’s Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) scheme, which aims to provide sustainable economic opportunities and benefits to areas of Sunderland that make facing significant challenges.
These include social exclusion and multiple deprivations, the ability to access employment opportunities, poor health, or low levels of employment and entrepreneurship.
The CLLD program brings local communities together to address challenges and experiences that make it harder for some people to find employment, access training and support, or start a new business.
Tutor Ethan Burford benefited from the government’s KickStart scheme last year, where young people aged 18-24 were paid for 26-week placements, and now teaches a number of instruments to students aged 6 at 76 years old.
He said: “The Kickstart program gave me more experience teaching music, which I love, but I couldn’t find work during the pandemic.
This has given us the chance to grow our tuition service from a few students to over 100, as more and more people now realize the benefits of playing a musical instrument, whether just for fun, for help them mentally or physically, or if they fancy a career as a musician.
“I hope I can help people who were in the same situation as me, who would like to work in music, as well as those who would just like to try something new to boost their confidence.”
Group sessions will take place twice a week, with individual sessions available throughout the week.
The Bunker is offering a free initiation session with one of the tutors on Thursday June 30 from 1 to 4 p.m.
The introductory session will allow people to try out several musical instruments and learn more about the support offered, as well as internships and job opportunities available in the industry.
Anyone interested is welcome to call The Bunker on 0191 5671777 to book a session, or visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/bunkeru