Sunderland Music Workshop was established in February 1994 and the workshop has a fantastic rock and roll history.

The aim of our music workshops charity is to help build self esteem and confidence through music and to develop the music skills and knowledge of the young people who are members.

The project has now been running fifteen years, and has won many awards; local and national, for using music to communicate and to help bring people together. The music workshops are a free service to all young people age 13 to 25 who live in the city.

Every Saturday morning from 9am until 3pm, 35 to 45 young people leave their homes, rain or shine to participate in their beloved music workshops at the Sunderland Award Centre. It’s truly a place were young people share their skills through peer tuition. The young people have their own committee which meets every Saturday to discuss and plan live shows out in the community and to discuss any issues.

The young people have got their very own open air show, which is called, The Smile Concert; it provides them with a platform to perform their talents to a wider audience annually. Around 1000 people attend, parents, aunties, uncles and other members of the wider community, it’s truly is a great youth driven show.

Several bands have now been signed up by major recording companies, and travel around the world and have even performed on Top of the Pops. Many of the young people have gone on to College and University to further develop their creative dreams of using music as a tool to obtain employment or just to share the music and knowledge with others.

This group of young people are real troopers; they are always working towards some new project or goal.

International stars such as The Futureheads, Field Music and up and coming band The Bubble Project all began there. The workshops are free and open to all young people aged between 11 and 25 who are interested in developing their love of music.

The workshops are open every Saturday morning from 9.00am to 3.00pm, and are held at the Youth Development Group, Sunderland Award Centre, 270a Hylton Road, Sunderland, SR4 7XJ.

Sunderland Music Workshops have just won the fifth annual BT Seen and Heard Awards 2007 for the North East region. This prestigious award demonstrates how young people are affecting positive change in society.

For more information please contact: (0191) 5537400