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A £2,500 grant from the Riddell Family Fund at Community Foundation North East has supported The NewBridge Project to deliver Shieldfield Sounds, an anti-racist music project championing the voices of young people in Newcastle.
The funding helped 23 young people aged 13 to 17 access creative opportunities that may otherwise have been out of reach. Through free sessions, professional guidance and visits to cultural venues, participants explored the issues that matter to them while developing skills in songwriting, performance, recording, sound production, mixing and DJing.
The project originally planned to deliver 10 sessions and three visits to a recording studio. Thanks to combined support from the Riddell Family Fund and Youth Music, it was able to expand its programme and deliver 43 free-to-access sessions focused on tackling racism through music.
The Riddell Family Fund grant contributed towards artists’ fees, food and travel support, helping to remove financial barriers to participation. Food was provided at every session to ensure that the project remained accessible to young people experiencing financial pressures.
Participants worked with musicians and organisations including rapper Kema Kay, producer Jamie Cook and the L.A.D.s collective. They also visited the Theatre Royal for a street-dance workshop and Cobalt Studios to record music.
Su Legg, Senior Philanthropy Advisor at Community Foundation North East, said:
“The Riddell family’s support has enabled The NewBridge Project to give young people access to creative experiences, professional equipment and specialist guidance that might otherwise have been unavailable to them.
Shieldfield Sounds is a brilliant example of what philanthropy can make possible. This grant has not only helped young people develop new skills; it has given them a safe space to explore difficult issues, express themselves and ensure their voices are heard.
We are delighted that the funding has helped the project reach more young people and deliver far more sessions than originally planned, creating opportunities and relationships that will continue beyond the life of the grant.”
When some participants showed an interest in creative roles beyond making and performing music, The NewBridge Project introduced sessions in merchandise design, event photography and hosting.
Shieldfield Sounds culminated in a celebration at Cobalt Studios, attended by family members, friends, artistic collaborators and representatives from Show Racism the Red Card. The event featured live performances and recordings made during the project.
Dadiva, one of the young participants, performed their song ‘True Colours of Racism’ alongside Kema Kay.
Dadiva said:
“This project has made a difference in Shieldfield, and with everyone associated with it. People like me are interested in music because we get inner creation – and it unlocks a new feeling that we’ve never felt before. I’m excited about the future, because of what we were able to do this year!”
The grant also supported four restorative justice sessions delivered with Show Racism the Red Card. These gave participants space to discuss the impact of racism on their lives and explore the ways racism and bias can appear, including unconscious bias and microaggressions.
The young people are now finalising a collective Anti-Racism Manifesto, which will be displayed in the Shieldfield youth room as a lasting reminder of the project and the importance of listening to their experiences.
The youth team at Dwellbeing Shieldfield and The NewBridge Project said:
“With vital funding support from the Riddell family, this project has helped the young people we work with create, explore, take risk and reflect on what it means to grow up at a time where barriers are many and opportunities are few. The young people of Shieldfield’s voices have been heard through the power of music, and we are excited to see what they get up to in the near future. Watch this space!”
– Lib Hodes, Izaak Gledhill and Lerato Mncube, part of the youth team at Dwellbeing Shieldfield and The NewBridge Project.
Photo credits: Ellen Dixon