Young musicians make a scene at Great Yarmouth open mic night

BBC News

30-06-2025

An arts project is teaching young musicians skills that could help them start a career in the music industry.Play Produce Promote (PPP) is an off-shoot of Freshly Greated, which works with young people to develop talent and create a cultural scene in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.It held an open mic night at the town's St George's Theatre to help musicians learn they need to do more than create a band, with work required to produce music and promote events to attract audiences.Programme director Jacqui MacKay said: "I'm 53 years old. If I decided to produce a music night, I don't think many young people would be there, so this is about music by young people, for young people."
First on stage were brothers Harry, 15, and Rupert, 11, performing two songs they had written themselves. "It was amazing," said Harry. "I love the crowd; love everyone here. Most of my friends are in PPP and it ties everything together in the most amazing way."It's taken us from pretty much completely nothing to where I am. I started off as someone who barely had the confidence to get on stage and would cry and now I get on stage completely fine."Bullying; I've had to live with that since I was younger because of my eczema and autism, but music has given me a way to rise above it."Rupert said: "I like the atmosphere here because everyone is respectful and kind to each other and appreciate how talented each other is."It's helped us both. Harry and I were always the quirky, weird kids of the school and Play Produce Promote has helped us find the people we fit in with."
Their mum Holly and dad Mark bought instruments for their sons when they were just four years old: Harry, a guitar, and Rupert, a drum kit. They have progressed from playing in the shed, to the conservatory and now on stage, getting paid for some gigs.Holly said: "I would never have imagined that they would have come that far that quickly."Rich and famous; that's the dream!"Mark said: "Without Play Produce Promote they would still be having fun playing around, making some songs, but PPP has brought them to where they are today."He joked: "I'm not working till I'm 70. My children are going to be superstars and hopefully they'll pay my mortgage for me."I have always known they were talented, but that's from a dad point of view."But, in all seriousness, it's not just about the music. We want them to be happy; [this] has helped them to be happy, to socialise, to build their confidence and really start to enjoy life."
Shaun was proudly watching his son Dan, 15, perform in a band called Niche."It's fantastic. It's something I dabbled in... when I was a youngster, but he's taken it to a whole new level."With his ADHD and autism, this for his confidence has just been off the chart. He's really come on leaps and bounds."
Dan, 18, said: "I perform in two bands: one, The Gourds and the other, Kuiper. I also come here to watch other people play."Skar, 15, who sang Alannah Myles's Black Velvet - one of her granddad's favourite songs - said: "Norwich had quite a big music scene and a lot of us moved from there to here when we heard about Play, Produce, Promote."It's really helpful for people who are very creative, like us, to get out there and do what we what."
Ms MacKay said: "I don't know what music young people want to create, I don't know the skills they need to have to make the music they want to listen to, so it's absolutely vital to us that young people are programming events, deciding what bands are going to be heard by other young people."Play Produce Promote is all about developing the music scene in Great Yarmouth, starting by investing in young people and giving them the opportunity to find out what is involved in playing music, producing music, and promoting music."
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