It’s always amazing when you experience a young person come out of their shell and explore their creative side. Using the power of art and music to support these positive shifts and change lives is at the core of what we do at Take Art. Working in partnership with other organisations and projects like ActionTrack and Focus5, we’re fortunate to witness these little miracles first-hand and see the immense value they can provide.
Our two own projects, My Tunes and Outthere, are especially close to our hearts. These projects utilise the levelling power of music by taking it into challenging places, to the most isolated and disadvantaged young people in the country. With help from our specialist partners, they get the chance to explore what they are interested in, receive guidance, and gain some clarity about their future.
Simples and N came a long way before starting their journey with our partners Focus5 and ActionTrack, and we were delighted to hear their feedback.
"When I joined #Focus5 I wasn’t doing much or going out hardly at all and my Key Worker talked to me about what I might be interested in. We looked at some of the partner programmes that #Focus5 offers, and I chose music studio sessions with ActionTrack to record some songs.
I really enjoyed my time at Actiontrack. Tim was really cool and he was able to put things together quickly. I already had some beats in mind and some lyrics down. It was good to get them recorded together properly because I’ve wanted to do that for a while. I’m really pleased with the final pieces and have been playing them to my mates – they know all the words to all three songs now! I’ve also uploaded them to Sound Cloud."
Simples
"He was really focused and engaged throughout all of his music sessions, of which he had a perfect attendance. He came prepared to each session, with a track to work on and lyrics all written and rehearsed in advance. This meant we got loads done and he maintained his focus to the mixing and completion of each of the three final songs. He also spent one session learning about the technology and production elements involved.
It is clear to see he benefitted from, and was grateful for the support and opportunity he was given, and I'm sure he would make the most of any future opportunities he could potentially be granted."
Tim - ActionTrack
N, another young man working with Focus5, has been working on his confidence, and managing his anxiety. He says he has a better understanding of his mental health now and what he needs to manage it. N has also been taking advantage of sessions with ActionTrack, by learning to play the Bass Guitar and reading tabs.
He also made friends with another project participant, bonding almost instantly over their common interest. He says this opportunity made him discover his passion for music and that his dream is to make a career out of it. He’s also planning to look for a part time job.
We are delighted with the young men’s progress and wish them all the best for their future. Stories like theirs make all the work worth it and highlight the importance of keeping these projects alive.