BRIT Trust Diaries: Rhian Hutchings from Anthem
Anthem CEO Rhian Hutchings discussed how young people, supported by the charity’s Unlocked programme, Anthem Gateway, and Young Curators Cymru, can play a bigger role in shaping music in Wales and in leading a vibrant and connected youth music ecosystem.
Over the last few years at Anthem, we’ve been thinking a lot about the role young people can play in shaping music in Wales.
We’ve worked with thousands of young people, alongside a dedicated network of grassroots organisations, venues, artists and practitioners across the country. Through that work, we’ve learnt a huge amount about what helps them to find their way in music, and what can get in the way.
It’s also made us think differently about what creating opportunities for young people really means. We want young people to be able to make decisions, develop their own ideas, try things out and help shape the music communities they are part of. We want them to feel that music in Wales belongs to them and that they have a role in deciding what its future looks like.
That thinking has shaped Anthem’s new vision of a Wales in which young people lead a vibrant and connected youth music ecosystem.
Our mission is to build young people’s skills, confidence and community through music. Those things are closely connected. A first live performance can build confidence. Putting on a gig can develop new skills. Meeting the right person can lead to a collaboration, a friendship or a first paid opportunity. Often what matters is having somewhere meaningful to start and someone who can show you what's possible, so you can build on this.
We’re seeing this happening across Anthem’s work. For some young people, UNLOCKED might be their first experience of live music in a local venue, whether that’s getting on stage for the first time, helping run the event, or being part of the audience.
From there, we want young people to be able to see where music could take them. Through the Anthem Gateway they can find opportunities, advice and people who can help them take a next step. FFWD>> gives young creatives space to develop their ideas, skills and networks, with alumni going on to work with Anthem as freelancers and project leads, as well as building their own careers.
Through Young Curators Cymru, teenagers are trusted to programme and produce live music in their communities. They are making decisions about what they want to see happening locally and creating something for others around them. These experiences can start small, but each gives a young person more confidence, more connections and more say in what happens next.
Anthem is only one part of this. There is brilliant work happening with young people across Wales, led by grassroots organisations, venues, educators, artists and practitioners. A big part of our job is to help connect that work and create clearer routes to opportunities, so that wherever a young person lives, whatever music they’re interested in and whatever role they can imagine for themselves, they can find a way forward.
Support from The BRIT Trust this year is helping us do that. Their funding is creating opportunities for young people to perform, develop their skills, build relationships and gain a better understanding of what they can do with music, now and in the future.
As Anthem moves into its next chapter, we are passionate about young people having a stronger voice in shaping the ecosystem in which they make music in Wales. We can help young people to build the skills and confidence they need for the future, to explore new ways of working together, and to generate the power to make changes. What we don’t know is exactly where they will take it. And that’s absolutely the point!
www.anthem.wales
Dyddiadur BRIT Trust - Anthem
Dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf yn Anthem, rydyn ni wedi bod yn meddwl llawer am y rôl y gall pobl ifanc ei chwarae wrth lunio byd cerddoriaeth yng Nghymru.
Rydyn ni wedi gweithio gyda miloedd o bobl ifanc, ar y cyd â rhwydwaith ymroddedig o sefydliadau llawr gwlad, lleoliadau, artistiaid ac ymarferwyr ledled y wlad. Drwy'r gwaith hwnnw, rydyn ni wedi dysgu llawer iawn am yr hyn sy'n helpu pobl ifanc i ddod o hyd i'w ffordd ym myd cerddoriaeth, a beth all fynd yn y ffordd.
Mae hefyd wedi gwneud i ni feddwl yn wahanol am yr hyn y mae creu cyfleoedd i bobl ifanc yn ei olygu mewn gwirionedd. Rydyn ni am i bobl ifanc wneud penderfyniadau, datblygu eu syniadau eu hunain, rhoi cynnig ar bethau a helpu i lunio'r cymunedau cerdd y maen nhw'n rhan ohonyn nhw. Rydyn ni am iddyn nhw deimlo bod byd cerddoriaeth yng Nghymru yn perthyn iddyn nhw a bod ganddyn nhw rôl wrth benderfynu sut beth fydd ei ddyfodol.
Mae'r gwaith meddwl hwnnw wedi siapio gweledigaeth newydd Anthem o Gymru lle mae pobl ifanc yn arwain ecosystem fywiog a chysylltiedig o gerddoriaeth ieuenctid.
Ein hymgyrch yw adeiladu sgiliau pobl ifanc, eu hyder a'u cymuned trwy gerddoriaeth. Mae'r pethau hynny wedi'u cysylltu'n agos. Gall perfformiad cyntaf fagu hyder. Gall cynnal gig ddatblygu sgiliau newydd. Gall cwrdd â'r person cywir arwain at gydweithio, cyfeillgarwch neu gyfle cyntaf i wneud gwaith am dâl. Yn aml yr hyn sy'n bwysig yw cael rhywle ystyrlon i ddechrau a rhywun a all ddangos i chi beth sy'n bosibl.
Rydyn ni'n gweld hyn yn digwydd ar draws gwaith Anthem. I rai pobl ifanc, efallai mai DATGLOI fydd eu profiad cyntaf o gerddoriaeth fyw mewn lleoliad lleol, boed hynny'n gyfle cyntaf i fynd ar y llwyfan, helpu i redeg y digwyddiad, neu fod yn rhan o'r gynulleidfa.
O'r fan honno, rydyn ni am i bobl ifanc allu gweld lle gallai cerddoriaeth fynd â nhw. Trwy Borth Anthem fe allan nhw ddod o hyd i gyfleoedd, cyngor a phobl a all eu helpu i gymryd cam nesaf. Mae FFWD>> yn rhoi lle i bobl greadigol ifanc ddatblygu eu syniadau, eu sgiliau a'u rhwydweithiau, gyda chyn-gyfranogwyr yn mynd ymlaen i weithio gydag Anthem fel gweithwyr llawrydd ac arweinwyr prosiectau, yn ogystal ag adeiladu eu gyrfaoedd eu hunain.
Trwy brosiect Curaduron Ifanc Cymru, rydyn ni'n ymddiried mewn pobl ifanc yn eu harddegau i raglennu a chynhyrchu cerddoriaeth fyw yn eu cymunedau eu hunain. Maen nhw'n gwneud penderfyniadau am yr hyn maen nhw eisiau ei weld yn digwydd yn lleol ac yn creu rhywbeth i bobl ifanc eraill o'u cwmpas. Gall y profiadau hyn ddechrau'n fach, ond mae pob un yn rhoi mwy o hyder i berson ifanc, mwy o gysylltiadau a mwy o lais yn yr hyn sy'n digwydd nesaf.
Dim ond un rhan o hyn yw Anthem. Mae gwaith gwych yn digwydd gyda phobl ifanc ledled Cymru, dan arweiniad sefydliadau, lleoliadau, addysgwyr, artistiaid ac ymarferwyr ar lawr gwlad. Rhan fawr o'n gwaith yw helpu i gysylltu'r gwaith hwnnw a chreu llwybrau cliriach at gyfleoedd, fel y gall pobl ifanc ddod o hyd i ffordd ymlaen, lle bynnag y maen nhw'n byw, pa bynnag gerddoriaeth y maen nhw'n ymddiddori ynddi a pha rôl bynnag y gallan nhw ddychmygu i'w hunain.
Mae cefnogaeth gan Ymddiriedolaeth BRIT eleni yn ein helpu i wneud hynny. Mae eu cyllid yn creu cyfleoedd i bobl ifanc berfformio, datblygu eu sgiliau, meithrin perthnasoedd a chael gwell dealltwriaeth o'r hyn y gallan nhw ei wneud gyda cherddoriaeth, nawr ac yn y dyfodol.
Wrth i Anthem symud ymlaen i'w phennod nesaf, mae gennym angerdd dros sicrhau bod gan bobl ifanc lais cryfach wrth lunio'r ecosystem y maen nhw'n creu cerddoriaeth ynddi yng Nghymru. Gallwn helpu pobl ifanc i feithrin y sgiliau a'r hyder sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw ar gyfer y dyfodol, i archwilio ffyrdd newydd o gydweithio, ac i greu'r pŵer i wneud newidiadau. Yr hyn nad wyddom yw ble yn union y byddan nhw'n mynd â hynny. A dyna'r holl bwynt!
Rhian Hutchings
Prif Weithredwr, Anthem