MENA Beats Project - 2023/4 - Liverpool Arab Arts Festival

The Youth Music Trailblazer grant gave us the opportunity to reach out to young people of Arab / Middle Eastern and North African heritage who are underrepresented in the music industry – providing a platform for them to learn and develop their skills in DJing, mixing and production.

The driving motivation behind the project was to increase young people’s access and opportunities to experience, perform and develop a wide range of skills from professional DJs; to curate contemporary music that is representative of them, their artistry, their generation and cultural heritage.

“The project has helped me show other people who I am through DJing and music.”
– Young person involved in the project

The initial idea for the project came about through consultation and research with young people who attended Liverpool Arabic Centre and Kaalmo Youth Development – two community-based organisations that were instrumental in facilitating young people’s participation in the project.

From March 2023 to October 2024, the project engaged 76 young people of Arab heritage and Global Majority, aged 11-24. The participants attended DJ workshops and masterclasses and had no prior music experience.

“It’s been so worth going to DJing sessions, learning and having fun, meeting new people and exploring my cultural heritage, it was worth everything.”
– Young person involved in the project

Twenty-four young people participated in three or more workshops and were mentored by professional DJs who supported them in developing specific technical production skills. We also facilitated visits to some of Liverpool’s most iconic music venues, offering young people the opportunity to experience a diverse range of industry roles – from venue operation and technical production to performance based roles.

Ten young people played a key role in evaluating and planning project activities, including the research visits to music venues. The process enabled young people to develop ownership and confidence to shape the project delivery.

Five young people have since progressed into music industry volunteer roles, including LAAF young people’s subgroup, who will help shape music-making activities and performances for younger audiences.

“It helped in so many ways, not just with music but also with my self-confidence.”
– Young person involved in the project

Some of our young people performed at the 2024 Liverpool Arab Arts Festival VIP Launch and Family Day events. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to play their work to a live audience at a large-scale event for the very first time, utilising the skills they learnt from being involved in the project.

We are delighted to be continuing the project into next year with more DJing workshops and a planned visit to London, where our young people will have the opportunity to meet producers and music professionals from leading Arab/MENA organisations. A huge thank you to Youth Music and all of our young people involved in this year’s events.