Member Article

Case Study: Music Potential

Punch Records delivers Music Potential as part of Barclaycard’s national CSR programme.

Background: Committed to supporting black music culture and developing young people’s interests and raw talents; Punch Records were commissioned by Barclaycard and Global Radio as part of their wider CSR programme to engage to young people between the ages of 16-25, currently not in employment, education or training with new educational initiative; Music Potential.

The Music Potential programme; created by award winning music development agency Punch Records, was delivered by some of the UK’s hottest music industry talent and ambassadors and was designed to give young people the confidence, skills and knowledge to break into the creative industries.

Objective: Music Potential will support young people not currently in employment, education or training (NEET) to develop personal, social and industry skills to help them into employment, education and training.

Targets:

• 250 NEET Young People to attend Music Potential, Birmingham
• 100% of attendees being sign posted to “next steps” programmes in the local area
• 25% of attendees to receive a 3 month follow up from Punch
• 30 NEET Young People engaged in Punch programme for further skills training and employability
• 10 Young People matched with industry professionals for 6 months (10 hour) mentoring support

Delivery: The first Music Potential event, last August, saw Birmingham Ormiston Academy play host to over 400 young people, all eager to experience the one-day creative and digital boot camp. Punch created a program that would provide support and training to assist young people in returning to education, employment or starting a new business venture, not only at the event but also continuing into the future, working to secure work experience opportunities.

Participants were able to gain hands-on experience in everything from writing scripts to recording their own mix-tapes as well as getting one-to-one advice from some of the UK’s leading industry professionals. Courses included TV and Media, DJ’ing, Music Production, Radio Broadcasting and Employability.

Match my Potential; an off shoot of the Music Potential programme, matched 10 young people with CEOs and highly respected business people from Birmingham as part of a mentoring plan to develop both personal and professional skills. Business experts such as Chris Pile, NEC Group; Anita Dinham, Birmingham City Council and Charles Small, The Drum as well as Punch’s very own Ammo Talwar MBE, volunteered giving young people a helping hand to back into work and continued support as they start their own careers.

Through the project a diverse range of young people will gain access to high quality music opportunities. Participants will be supported to create SMART targets, interact with other young people, take on new experiences and develop employability skills.

Results: Following the UK initiative of the Music Potential experience, 150 young people will have
gained recognised qualifications; over 50 individuals will have taken up one-to-one mentoring with
industry professionals and many more completing work experience; providing them with both the skills
and improving self confidence.

To further celebrate the achievements of this year’s Music Potential participants, Music Potential at
Wembley Arena was announced and took place on January 31st 2013. 30 of the most engaged young people were invited to plan, attend and perform at the event, supported by Punch. To view a video of the event click here.

The partnership between Barclaycard and Punch is continuing with planning commencing shortly for
Music Potential events as well as other projects to help young people and NEETs as well as supporting
Barclaycard’s CSR objectives.

Louise Guedes, Community Investment manager at Barclays said: “Music Potential is a great way for young people to learn about the music business. There is a real opportunity to help tackle long term youth unemployment, using music as a hook to engage them in music related education and help them towards a career in the music or radio industries. It will also help them to become financially independent, find a job, or set up a business of their own.”

Ammo Talwar, Punch CEO said: “Music Potential is a chance for the creative industries to step up and show they can give back something real to the community people’s lives. Some of these young people may very well have bright ideas that could help boost the region’s and the UK’s economy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Punch Records .