Fundraising event to support Portland Rocks music project (From Dorset Echo)

Fundraising event to support Portland Rocks music project

4:30pm Monday 13th February 2012 in News By Laura Kitching

A COMMUNITY event is being held to keep Portland rocking.

Portland Rotary Club is hosting a table-top sale next Saturday from 10am until 1pm at the Community 2000 Hall in Straits, Easton.

It is just one part of the fundraising attempts underway to keep the Portland Rocks music project going now that its Youth Music funding has finished.

Portland Rocks project manager Martyn Mullender said the group was ‘grateful to Synergy Housing for providing a funding lifeline to the project until Easter.’ He said: “Portland Rocks is unique in this locality.

“We have a high public profile as a successful music project working with young people and with the advent of the 2012 Olympics we have been approached by arts organisations who want to work with our young people.

“As well as providing successful weekly workshops in song-writing, performing and junk music for 25 young people at the Islanders Club on Portland we also offer accredited training for our young people through the arts award.

“We offer sessional employment to two music leaders, paid employment for up to three trainees and offer opportunities for up to three volunteers.”

Opportunities for those who attend the workshops include working as young leaders on major song- writing projects in local junior schools over a six month period, taking part in the Moving Tides procession and B-Side Festivals during 2012.

The project will also be taking four groups to the Music for Youth Regional Festival in Taunton on March 24.

Mr Mullender added: “Two of our young people, Billy Muircroft and Jack Southorn, successfully auditioned for the prestigious South West Music School in 2011.

“Last year our musicians took part in the Revive Hallowe’en event and an end-of-term performance in December at the Islanders Club “We are planning young people’s involvement in training at Air Radio, Westfield Arts College as well as involvement in possible film projects on the Olympic legacy.

“This year we will also be performing as part of the Moving Tides event to welcome the Olympic torch on July 12 – it’s an exciting year.”

You can find out more at portlandrocks.co.uk