On Friday 28 January, Stephen visited the newly opened Links Studio, which is based in Community Links on Barking Road.
The studio was opened last July by Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones. It is purpose-built, with state of the art equipment and is used to host a variety of workshops for young people. Links Studios also offer Level 2 qualifications for young people aged 11-19 in music technology and sound engineering, with English and maths woven into the courses.
During the visit, Stephen was given a tour of the studios and listened to some tracks produced, written and played by the students. Speaking afterwards, he said: “young people have been hit hard by the pandemic. They face huge obstacles to finding work now, but new opportunities are opening up too. Links Studios opens doors for youngsters, and offers an alternative route forward.
I enjoyed hearing during my visit about the range of programmes Links Studios offer, from music production to podcast workshops. It was great to meet the education and pastoral team and hear about how they support local young people. I applaud their work, giving local people great opportunities to explore their creativity and develop their passions.”