YOUNG musicians are celebrating a move to a bigger location on Portland this week after outgrowing their former premises.

The innovative Portland Rocks project has expanded and relocated to the Islanders Club in East Weare Road following growing popularity and recent donations of equipment.

The project, which has been running for 18 months, offers free music workshops for young people on Monday evenings between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

On average 15 to 20 young people take part in the weekly workshops, which are led by local experienced tutors, covering DJ skills, ‘junk’ band music with instruments made from discarded household and commercial materials, tuition in rock and pop instruments, singing and song-writing.

Now the project, which has funding secured until autumn 2011, has moved from its base at Chesil Cove School, to the Islanders Club where it can make use of new equipment donations.

Project manager Martyn Mullender said: “Thanks to the generosity of Island Play (iPlay) we now have additional sets of DJ decks, more drum kits, plus other equipment – a kind Portland family has also donated a drum kit.

“We would like to thank Chesil Cove School for making us so welcome during our first year and enabling us to get off to such a positive start.

“Workshops will still be held on Monday evenings during term time and are free of charge.

“We will also be taking part in a music festival at the George Public House, Portland on Saturday, May 28, the Big Grove Festival on Saturday, July 10 and B Side Encounters 2011 on the weekend of July 23.”

He added: “Our young people also continue to work as young leaders on the Chesil Singing Project and will be taking part in a public event at Royal Manor Arts College on June 28.

“Ever forward thinking, we are now looking to continue the good work beyond this current funding stream that finishes in autumn 2011 to establish Portland Rocks as an ongoing initiative and develop new strands in active music making."

Find out more about the project at www.portlandrocks.co.uk/home