Clothing giant announces partnership with Birmingham artist.
Following the launch of the Levi’s® Music Project in 2016, which saw the brand partner with grime royalty Skepta to establish a community youth music studio in Tottenham, the Levi’s brand has announced the expansion of the programme to Manchester and Birmingham in collaboration with Everything Everything and Mist. The initiative is set to provide access to music education and introduce young people to the industry, whilst also demonstrating how music can unite not only individuals but whole communities.
Setting out to further break down barriers to music education, Levi’s is creating fully equipped music studios at The Pump and Z-Arts community centres in Birmingham and Manchester respectively. To launch these new spaces the artists will work alongside the young musicians and a team of dedicated professionals from each community group to create original material that will be played at an intimate performance at the end of the project, where the groups will show what they and their mentors have been working on.
The brand will also organize workshops on topics such as the song writing process, the art of creating demos and how to break into the music industry. The new studio facilities will remain in place for use by the wider community, providing a safe creative space for young people from all backgrounds to come together and learn about different aspects of music.
Speaking about this next phase of Levi’s Music Project, Levi’s VP Marketing Europe, Anit van Eynde said, “We’re incredibly excited to expand the Levi’s® Music Project to Birmingham and Manchester in partnership with artists of the calibre of Everything Everything and Mist. Not only does their involvement pay testament to the importance of this initiative, but also enables us to provide a platform for music education that supports the local community with artists who have a strong connection to these areas”.
As part of the Levi’s Music Project, the brand has also partnered with leading global online music broadcasting platform Boiler Room to contribute their vast musical knowledge to the initiative. As part of their involvement, Boiler Room will be launching an exclusive content series that documents the participants’ and artists’ journeys throughout the programs.
Dean Bryce, Head of Music Programming at Boiler Room commented, “At Boiler Room we’re motivated by the potential music has to bring people together and to provide solutions to some of the problems facing young people today. This is why we are excited to be a part of the Levi’s Music Project; through our content series, we will be telling the behind the scenes stories that demonstrate the impact that music has on young people’s lives, as well as showcasing the best in emerging talent from music scenes across Birmingham and Manchester”.
The project will move to Birmingham from 2nd-15th October at the city’s leading community centre The Pump, which provides access to a variety of services including education, skills training and career advice.
“The Levi’s Music Project is a fantastic opportunity for us to expand our music offering and to engage more talented young people in the East of Birmingham and provide an amazing platform for young people to explore the creative industries as a positive destination, for self-expression and employment. The Levi’s® Music Project will enable the Pump to continue to provide high quality music making activity and training for more young people in the future,” said Charlotte Linforth, Project Director at The Pump.
Hotly-tipped rapper and Birmingham local Mist will be working across the project offering participants the chance to learn from his experiences in the industry and his journey from grime into hip-hop.
Mist said of the project, “Being involved in the Levi’s Music Project is something I’m really excited about. Growing up in Birmingham has really been part of my journey and so contributing to a long term music facility here is my chance to put something back into this community. We’re going to show how music can really unite people regardless of who they are and what their background is.
“In this space everyone will be an equal. Within the project, I hope to give people a better understanding of my process, and guide the young musicians based on how I work in the studio. I can’t wait to see where the project takes us and what comes out of it, who knows… the next Mist could be about to blow!”
Visit www.levi.com/supportmusic for regular updates and follow the Levi’s social channels for exclusive behind-the-scenes content from both cities.