In partnership with Romsey Mill, HighRise Theatre & Tide Film
Trumpington is an area of Cambridge that has rapidly grown in recent years, bringing many new people into the area. Regular detached outreach work and engagement with a local youth club unearthed a thirst for music provision in the locality.
Cambridge Junction with Romsey Mill, HighRise Theatre and Tide Film created the project Beats, Trials & Tribulations to offer young people the opportunity to work with industry professionals to unlock their lyrical, production and filmmaking talents.
The young people workshopped ideas, tried new techniques, learned production skills and went on to write, record and produce original Drill tracks and made music videos to accompany them.
You can see the tracks and videos created in a YouTube playlist below, or at the bottom of this page.
Note: The videos were made for an adult audience, and are not suitable for children
Supported by Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, D & J Lloyd Community First Fund, Cambridgeshire Music, BBC Children in Need and Clay Farm Centre.
View the tracks and videos here
Behind The Scenes
These were all shown and celebrated at the 2022 Total Arts Film Festival. You can see a short film about this here. The young people from Beats, Trials & Tribulations have been invited to a VIP event at the UK Drill Project at The Barbican in November 2022 where their music videos and freestyles will be screened.
In the documentary the participants and facilitators reflect on the experience of taking part.
Total Arts Film FestivalFeedback
Participant Feedback
“I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression for about 5 years now and just sort of recently making music has sort of given me an outlet to express it instead of sort of bottling it up”
“I never expected to do all the videos and go to Cambridge Junction and all. Didn’t expect any of it and it was all kind of a surprise to me. Like even when we came to the freestyle thing I thought that would be it and then I got told make a tune with Jack and we’ll make a video of that. Constant surprises to be honest.”
“We were driving home and I was saying to my mum, I was like, I felt part of something. ‘Cos I haven’t really experienced something like that. Being in a group of other people who I know nothing about, but still feeling so many connections with them. And, yes, it was a really nice feeling.”
“We’re in a very forgotten corner of Britain, possibly one of the most forgotten areas because of the poverty line and because of the income lines being so severe…the person who’s literally living over there has no idea what’s going on over here in this underworld.”
Dom Garfield, HighRise Theatre Artistic Director
“It’s been a huge privilege to work with, celebrate and platform these incredibly talented individuals. We have seen young people from different social circles come together, invest in each other, and build community cohesion across Cambridge. With the continued support of Romsey Mill, I know these young leaders will continue to develop and thrive.”
Beth Bailey, Head of Creative Learning, Cambridge Junction
“I honestly can’t thank the Junction and Romsey Mill enough at the moment. My son is a different lad thanks to your support with his music.”
Participant’s parent
Artist Facilitator Feedback
“They’re integrating with people they wouldn’t normally meet or come across, and different groups of people come together to create something that they have a mutual love of.”
“Not everyone wants to play an instrument. Everyone, like, needs to show love to everything that everyone can do. There is more than just playing instruments to music.”
“What we are noticing is young people are just lacking confidence… with opportunities like this and with being able to show them that they can do it and them seeing that they can do it. Then the sky’s the limit man, like you said they can fly.”
Beats, Trials & Tribulations Videos
Past Projects
Creative Learning