Young musicians stay creative in lockdown thanks to virtual studio from Havant arts centre and charity

Despite enforced closure, The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre in East Street has continued to bring the arts to the community while supporting its many volunteers, staff, visitors and partner groups.

The Spring has been working with Havant-based charity Music Fusion to provide young people with the opportunity to develop as musicians and record music at their East Street Studio.

Continuing this partnership over the past few months has been invaluable for the many vulnerable young people in challenging circumstances who have found lockdown particularly difficult.

While it wasn’t possible to gather the musicians in the studio as originally planned, Music Fusion instead launched a ‘music studio in a box’ pilot scheme, which was delivered to ten members of the group.

This allowed these young people to record their music professionally and access expert support from a producer through a remote desktop connection.

The pilot scheme has been a huge success and Music Fusion has begun to stream the studio sessions live over Facebook and post the highlights on YouTube.

Jinx Prowse, chief executive of Music Fusion, said: ‘We’re delighted with the success of the pilot.

‘There really is no substitute for the atmosphere and energy of being in the studio and we can’t wait to be back there, but we knew that many of our young people couldn’t wait that long.

‘We’re hoping that the success of the pilot will help us raise the funds needed to provide further access to our mobile studio and help even more young people.’

Music Fusion is a youth-friendly recording studio based at The Spring, helping vulnerable young people aged 11 to 25 to create and record music.

As well as improving musical skills and providing a creative outlet, the group helps young people make important social connections. They are currently raising funds to create a further 10 remote studios to help more young people in the community.

Arts Council England invested £42,900 in The Spring as part of a Covid-19 funding package.

To help out or find out more about the group, email [email protected] or visit musicfusion.org.uk

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