Community Initiatives

CMAT’s mission is to help improve the economic prosperity of the locality in which it operates and promote better cultural relationships within its surrounding communities. CMAT provides quality training, education support and resources in the arts – specifically music and the creative industries – through culturally sensitive programmes.

CMAT is involved in a variety of community initiatives and we welcome any ideas you may have for new ones. Please use the contact page to get in touch with us.

In association with sampad...programmes for 12-19 year olds @ CMAT

• Spring 09 programme - MCing & Lyric Writing
  All sessions were led by 'Vice', focussing on beat building, production, recording and also included lyric writing.
  
• Winter 08/09 programme - Are you serious about your creativity - focussed on vocal training, repertoire building and performance skills. During half-term the programme was enhanced with keyboard lessons - a competition was held at the end of that week, and Ymani, a regular CMAT user, won £10 for her efforts!
• Summer 08 programme
  CMAT ran a 5-week programme for young people aged 12-19 years during the summer break. At the end of the programme, the young people took part in a small performance and were given certificates by the organiser. Over the five weeks, they learnt more about the music industry, how to record their tracks, and were also taught filming and photography.

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Handsworth Revelations

Handsworth Revelations ('revealing an aspect of Handsworth'), a research and archiving project for young people, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, involved a diverse group of young people aged between 10 – 17 years. Drawn from many areas across the City, the young people met regularly with professional artists and archivists to explore and learn about No. 16 Grosvenor Road and some of the users who recorded at the studio.
The project was designed to develop the skills of young people in the areas of:
•    Research
•    Interviewing skills and techniques
•    Photography
•    Filming and editing
•    Singing
•    Writing
•    Archiving
An exhibition of photographs and recorded interviews was shown during Summer 08 at Soho House, Birmingham. A smaller exhibit will now be on permanent display at CMAT, and we are hoping to continue this project to build an extensive and comprehensive archive of artists that have recorded their music at Grosvenor / Hollick & Taylor studios. If you are interested to help us on this interesting 'look' into the past (or indeed one of the artists that has used the premises!), please get in touch via the contact us page! Thank you.

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Vocally Brum

In 2005, CMAT hosted the first vocal festival in the West Midlands as part of the Birmingham City Council's 'Urban Fusion' programme. The weekend focused on the celebration of the human voice with local and international artists, including: Black Voices * CODA from Spain * Nuru Kane - Senegalese artist based in Paris * Peter Daley * Milton Godfrey * various Choirs * and many more voices of rich, cultural diversity. Visitors to the festival could experience reggae, pop, classical, jazz, and devotional chants as well as gospel and spirituals through workshops and concerts.

The festival was repeated in 2006 and this time, all the workshops and performances were held at The Drum.

CMAT is keen to establish Vocally Brum as a permanent a capella festival in the diary of festivals. To talk to us about Vocally Brum please get in touch via the contact us page.

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