We’re thrilled to announce that Centrala has been awarded funding from Youth Music’s Catalyser Fund to deliver a brand-new, two-year youth music programme, supporting Birmingham’s queer and working-class young people involved in the city’s heavy and alternative music scene.
This first-of-its-kind programme will create a dedicated pathway for young musicians aged 19–25 who are passionate about the alternative music scene. This project will create a sustainable, youth-led pathway for young people excluded from traditional music and arts infrastructure, enabling them to build confidence, networks, and professional skills within a supportive, community-led environment. It will platform new talent, foster creative progression, and amplify the voices of those too often left out of Birmingham’s music and cultural industries.
Through hands-on workshops, mentoring, and regular live events, participants will gain access to essential skills, networks, and opportunities often unavailable through traditional music routes. From learning live sound and promotion to building digital presence and accessing professional mentoring, the programme will empower young artists to develop their practice and shape their own creative futures.
Over the next two years, the programme will see the creation of a Youth Steering Group, monthly platforming gigs, and opportunities for participants to take on paid roles within the project, embedding youth leadership and sustainable pathways into Birmingham’s independent music culture.
The project has been and will continue to be designed with young people in mind. The project will be able to morph and change if needed, led by the young people involved with support from Centrala.
“This programme would not have been possible without the long standing support of our current music community, we can’t wait to see how this project takes shape!” – Centrala Team
We can’t wait to begin this journey and continue building a truly inclusive, DIY-driven space for the next generation of heavy music makers.
Stay tuned for updates as the programme launches in the coming months.
This project is backed by Youth Music, thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England.
Photos by Niamh McManus
