Sony Music & Sony/ATV UK partner with Young Urban Arts Foundation for ‘Educate to Create 2020’

August 20, 2020

Some of London’s most vulnerable young people will benefit from a month-long programme run by expert charity the Young Urban Arts Foundation (YUAF) that aims to reach underserved children and teenagers through the power of music and the arts.

Building on a successful pilot backed by Sony Music UK last year, the ‘Educate to Create’ programme takes a special bus customised with a multimedia studio to some of London’s estates and offers underserved children a chance to learn about music, lyrics, poetry, art and production.

Following the events of this year and inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the 2020 programme has been expanded to include modules on African cultural awareness, the history of hip hop and the history of Black women in the music industry. The music education workshops are delivered by Doctored Sound and regular sessions encourage the young people to draw from their own life experiences when creating their lyrics, poetry and art.

“Educate to Create is a project that I am extremely proud of,” said Kerry O’Brien, CEO and Founder of YUAF. “[It] creates a safe space for young people from all colours and cultures to learn about Black culture and history and enables them to express themselves, be seen, be heard and be celebrated.”

“Kerry’s passion and dedication to create opportunities for the next generation mirror the values of Sony Music UK,” said Jason Iley, CEO & Chairman, Sony Music UK & Ireland. “Community organisations such as YUAF are vital to the wellbeing of our country and we are proud to be part of such a valuable initiative that seeks to educate, inspire and empower young people.”

“We are incredibly proud to partner with Kerry and her team at YUAF on such an important cause,” said Tim Major, Sony/ATV UK Co-Managing Director. “Young songwriters and artists from all backgrounds should have equal opportunities to learn and express themselves, and Educate to Create provides the resources and support to make this happen.”

“It has been fantastic to see young people engaging with opportunities that will have such an important and lasting impact on their lives,” said Isatta Sheriff, Founder and Director of Doctored Sound. “We want to see more and more young people able to nurture their strengths and realise their potential as valued individuals. Working with the YUAF programme and the Sony artists has been a fantastic experience.”

Sony Music and Sony/ATV UK artists and songwriters will visit the estates to inspire the children with stories of their own careers, including ZieZie, Joy Crookes, JNR Williams and Pa Salieu.

“I’m really excited to be involved with the YUAF programme,” said Joy. “I believe that these kinds of grass root schemes can have such an impact on changing the landscape and representation within industries as well as engaging the participants with invaluable creative skills.”

The weekly workshops are open to 8 to 19-year-olds and will take place in estates in Chelsea, Edmonton, White City and Dalston throughout August.