MUSIC Venue, Upstairs@TheGather, has prepared a series of free workshops throughout summer for youngsters aged 14-18.

The five-day workshops will introduce teenagers to the performance technologies of lights, sound, filming and streaming. Those who take part don’t have to be skilled in music or drama, the only requirement is having an interest in technology.

The project, supported by Arts Council England, is called, “Young People, Technology and The Arts” and is being put on Upstairs@TheGather in Ennerdale.

Applicants will have one of three workshops to choose from but they will need to guarantee their attendance for the whole five days. The workshops are in school holiday time this summer:

  • Workshop 1: May 28 to June 1 (with performance 7pm June 1)
  • Workshop 2: July 22 to July 26 (with performance 7pm July 26)
  • Workshop 3: August 19 to August 23 (with performance 7pm August 23)

Organiser Peter Maher explained: “The young people arrive as novices. They get three days' intensive training from university undergraduates to bring them up to speed with the rudiments of operating performance technologies then, on day four, they meet their musician mentor and work with them over the final two days culminating in a performance on the last day”.

News and Star: Snake Davis will be involved in the workshopsSnake Davis will be involved in the workshops (Image: The Gather)

“On day four they will be working at a professional recording studio with their musician mentor to learn the complexities of sound recording. The musicians will be working with Tom Tyson, at the Music Farm Studio, Egremont, where the students will witness the impact of recording technology.

 “The musician mentors, who are all experienced professional musicians , will then provide guidance based on their work in live music shows."

The musician mentors are:

  • Workshop 1: Singer-songwriter-guitarist Chris Cleverley
  • Workshop 2: Singer-songwriter-guitarist Katie Spencer 
  • Workshop 3: The duo, saxophonist Snake Davis and guitarist Gareth Moulton 

Mr Maher added:  “Over the three workshops we aim to have helped 18 young Cumbrians to see a different future for themselves in the arts, even if they are not musicians or actors.  There is a paucity of such technical skills in the UK and we suggested this to Arts Council England as our model to try to build a new, technically competent generation.”

 If you would like to take part, or know of somebody who would, please express your interest by emailing Peter.

 More information and tickets for these three shows are available here.