The BRIT Trust announces grant funding for East London Arts and Music (ELAM)

The recorded music industry’s leading charity, The BRIT Trust, today announces grant funding for ELAM - a full-time Industry Academy in East London for 16-19 years olds interested in pursuing a career in Music, Film and Television Production and Games Design.

The BRIT Trust’s mission is to draw on the transformative power of music and the arts to do good and to enable positive life pathways for young people of all backgrounds – recognising that this can best be achieved by embracing accessibility, diversity and inclusion as key values. The BRIT Trust has to date made more than 280 grant commitments totalling over £28 million to a wide range of causes and charities across the UK that inspire people to realise their full potential and life chances, whatever their abilities, ethnicity, gender and sexuality. Beneficiaries include The BRIT School, Nordoff and Robbins, Key 4 Life, Music Support, Sing Inside, Not Saints, Independent Venue Community, Heart'n'Soul and London Youth Choir. 

ELAM is a world-class 16-19 Academy which opened in September 2014 in one of the most under-represented areas of the UK, providing industry standard courses for trainees in Music, Games Design and Film & Television. Its mission is to identify, hone, support and connect a pipeline of representative talent from education to employment within the creative industries. Funded by the Department for Education, ELAM’s first full Ofsted inspection in May 2017 resulted in a grading of Outstanding in every category.

Chair of The BRIT Trust, Tony Wadsworth CBE said: “The BRIT Trust has had a close relationship with ELAM for a number of years and I am delighted to expand on this with grant funding. ELAM aligns perfectly with the Trust’s mission for using music and the creative arts as a transformative tool, so on behalf of the Trustee’s, we take great pride in supporting ELAM to continue their vital work.”

Principal of ELAM, Matt Sheldon said: ‘’Together, we are creating a dynamic, vibrant ecosystem which is enabling talented young people, regardless of their socio-economic background, gender, race or sexuality, to thrive and fulfil their potential. Trainees leave ELAM ‘industry-ready’, with the skills, knowledge and professional behaviours required to ensure a successful career in the creative industries and beyond. There is no other academy quite like it and we cannot thank The BRIT Trust enough for their commitment to ELAM. It is changing lives.’’ 

10 E-lumni currently making waves in the music industry

As we all should know by now, cracking the music industry is no easy feat. At ELAM we provide industry grade equipment, facilities and education, and we put a huge amount of focus and time into ensuring the ‘ultimate outcome'. The ‘ultimate outcome’ is where our trainees step into industry happy and well-equipped to start their journey of success. Over the years, several of our alumni have gone on to do absolutely great things in music but here are just 10 artists in particular we feel deserve to be ‘bigged’ up!

(Featured image: Ashley Singh)

Ashley Singh

Ashley Singh has just been signed to Warner and his recent single ‘10 Summers’ has been an outright success, achieving the second highest pre-saves in Warner Records UK history. When asked how he would describe his sound best he said “I would say sad songs that are brutally honest”. Ashley is currently touring Germany supporting Emily Roberts and has just released the open verse Edition (which went OFF on TikTok) of 10 Summers featuring Alfie Jukes.

FLO (Renee & Stella)

Renée, Stella, and Jorja make up FLO, an R&B girl band that just dropped their debut single ‘Cardboard Box’. The track has had huge success so far, amassing over a million views on YouTube and streams on Spotify. Their story began when Stella and Renée met in secondary school and bonded over their shared love of music. “Cardboard Box” was produced by the amazing MNEK (Little Mix, Dua Lipa, Mabel) and was released with Island Records. They recently dropped the live acoustic version to the debut track which sounds amazing and we can’t wait to see what else they have in store!

Pheobe ΔXΔ

Last month PHOEBE AXA released her latest single “Panic”, a pop song that will have you captured from the from the first listen. She released her debut EP in 2020 (Wisdom Teeth, Pt. 1) which she noted was an exploration of her identity and commented, “Panic is a comment on mental health and inner demons.” She has been shouted out on BBC Radio 1 as part of Josh’s (from You Me At Six) ‘Future Artists Mixtape’. PHOEBE AXA has performed multiple sold-out shows, the latest being at Colours in Hoxton, where she absolutely smashed it.

Isong

The R n Drill pioneer took the scene by storm with his Valentine’s Day hit track “Have You Ever Heard A Love Song On Drill?” which achieved millions of views and streams. Isong has proved that he is currently one of the most ambitious and original artists in the game. He recently dropped a remix to his R n Drill hit with the legendary Craig David which samples the guitar riff from Craig’s 2000 worldwide hit song “Fill Me In” and is produced by the multi-platinum selling producer, TSB.

Ama Lou

Ama Lou is arguably the most versatile artist to come out of the UK in recent years, and this is proven by her latest single “Same Old Ways”, a ‘boppy’ track which infuses the sounds and culture of London city with her smooth melodies. Her acclaimed EP’s Ama Who?, and AT LEAST WE HAVE THIS amassed major success and fans have given her recent single raving reviews. “Same Old Ways” was produced by the Grammy award-winning producer and writer Maestro the Baker, whose catalogue includes the likes of Rihanna, J Hus and Miraa May.

Chrissi

We’re so proud of Chrissi, a former music trainee who jumped onto the scene last year, enchanting us all with a debut performance at All Points East, and then going onto support BERWYN on tour. She wowed us with her fresh and potent take on R&B and lyrics that’ll have you right in your FEELINGS. She dropped her debut EP ‘Back In The Day’ late last year which catapulted her into the spotlight and has been described as “a mini-masterpiece of alt-RnB”. She is currently putting together her second EP and we honestly cannot wait to hear it.

Jvck James

Jvck James is currently one of the biggest names in the UK RnB scene; his performance for Berlin based platform ‘COLORS’ was a hit in Europe as well as in the UK. He sold out his debut headline show in 2018 and has been brought out as a special guest by the likes of Chronixx, Ella Mai and Mahalia. His debut EP ‘Detour’ amassed critical acclaim both in the UK and Europe, where he has performed numerous sold out shows. He released his 2021 EP ‘JOYRIDE’ with Sony which went on to be a huge success in the UK RnB scene. Last month he dropped his latest 4 track EP ‘On The Rocks’ which fans could not be happier about.

GIRLI

GIRLI’s unique and outspoken approach to pop has awarded her with a large and loyal fanbase. Her debut album ‘Odd One Out’ did brilliantly across Europe and the US. Her most recent project ‘Damsel in Distress’, is a 5-track body of work which highlights her colourful artistry. Her new releases have gained her over 4 million combined audio and video streams, and her fan base continues to grow. In November and December she will be touring the UK and Ireland so you better get your tickets!

tendai

This talented producer, writer, and artist has established himself as an incredibly original and unique new voice in the music industry. He was the first emerging artist under 0207 Def Jam and since then has done nothing but amaze us with his voice, pen and production. His debut single “Not Around” and second single “Infinite Straight” demonstrated his versatility and artistic prowess which is why he has since been named as The Guardian’s ‘One to watch’. His recent garage inspired single ‘Lately’ is full of smooth melodies and poetic lyricism accompanied by a cinematic world-building visual. He said “I wanted Lately, to feel like a soundtrack to London, walking on the underground, walking through the city,”

We’re so proud of all the talent that walks through the ELAM doors. We know there are many others doing great things too and we can’t wait to hear all about their success and see what all our trainees get up to once they leave and embark on their creative journeys.

Subscribe to this page for more updates on alumni and current trainees.

An EXCITING last week of term

Typically educational institutions wind down as the term draws to a close, however nothing about ELAM is typical! The last week was filled with exciting site visits from our fantastic industry partners, a legendary Masterclass with notable UK rapper Giggs, a Games Festival, and a trip to the Young Vic! Read on for a snapshot of everything that went down…

Playstation: Project mentoring for Y13 Games

Big thank you to our friends at Playstation for holding two mentoring sessions for our year 13 Games Design trainees. The trainees were given valuable industry advice on their final projects, and will be using these sessions to build on the fantastic work they have already produced.

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Giggs Masterclass

Our trainees were thrilled to be joined by the notable artist that is Giggs. The lecture hall was filled with trainees who were keen to hear all about his journey in the industry and trainees were given the chance to ask questions and get advice from a seasoned artist. A big shout out to everyone involved and a special thanks to Giggs and his team for coming down.

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Lammas Park: Project mentoring for Y13 Film

Our year 13 Film and TV trainees were graced with a visit from Lammas Park, Steve McQueen’s production company (the production behind the hit BBC drama ‘Small Axe’, directed by McQueen). On Tuesday they came down to carry out a mentoring session, helping to support them in the finalisation of their projects.

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A&R Visit from UMPG/ Island Records

Any opportunity for industry feedback is so important our young musicians so a big thanks to UMPG and Island Records for coming down to listen to and speak with our Music trainees!

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ELAM Presents… Games Festival

Our Games Festival on Wednesday was a huge success! We are so proud of our Games department and trainees. Many of you came to see and experience what Game Design at ELAM is all about, but don't stop there! Check out these E-Games; all playable games designed by our trainees. Thank you so much to our industry partners for coming down to support us: Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive, Curve Games and The Cyber Nerds. If you were thinking about studying Game Design at ELAM... click here to apply now for 2022.

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English Trip to the Young Vic Theatre to meet Kwame Kwei-Armah

Our A Level English trainees took a trip down to Southbank to meet Kwame Kwei-Armah, the extraordinary playwright, actor, singer, broadcaster, director and current Artistic Director of the Young Vic. It was a great chance for them to speak to one of the writers of their studied text, as well as learn more about him and his creative journey.

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As the Summer term begins, we look forward to more great things happening at ELAM so be sure to stay in the loop via our social media channels and bookmark this page to stay up to date!

10 things we can do to promote gender equality in lessons

In order to #BreakTheBias, we must be the change we want to see.

It is important that we endeavour to promote gender equality in the classroom; Young people spend so much of their time in lessons, so where better to fight for change? Raising awareness and educating our trainees to treat one another equally and with respect is something we are committed to. The EDI panel meet weekly to ensure our young peoples voices are heard and represented. Here we have put together 10 tips to promoting gender equality in the classroom.

1. Use gender-neutral pronouns to avoid excluding people for example say ‘everyone’ instead of using the term ‘guys’.

2. When talking about professions typically associated with a particular gender, make sure to challenge these perceptions and where they come from.

3. Teaching staff, check and ensure that your resources and materials are free from gender stereotypes, and if they do arise, challenge bias at every opportunity.

4. Challenge any stereotypes like ‘boys will be boys’ or ‘girls are catty’ which limits understanding of gender as something binary.

5. Address unhelpful comments like ‘you play like a girl’ or ‘man up,’ challenge and point out the implications of these statements and how they may make people feel.

6. Avoid using boys and girls as a binary to separate them into lines or activities

7. When using any materials, make sure they show genders in equal measure and don’t over represent some in favour over others.

8. Mix up seating in the classroom and allow them to better understand one and other through open discussion.

9. Support young people in identifying when gender bias is occurring using awareness activities looking at historical events, laws and cultural changes.

10. Explore ideas of gender from different communities and cultures; avoid looking at gender purely through one lens.
    

Happy International Women's Day 2022!

Happy Women's Day to all

Today we are proud to celebrate women with our international community. Today is about championing equality, diversity and inclusion, in a world stifled by misogyny and patriarchy, among a plethora societal ills. Here at ELAM, we work everyday to diversify the creative industries; we support our young people to break down barriers and smash through glass ceilings.

#IWD22

Below are a few of the great works that have been produced by iconic women, that have changed the landscape of the creative industries.

The XLP Van is visiting ELAM

XLP are visiting the ELAM site on 23rd February @ 4pm - 6pm. The van acts as a mobile recording studio, which all trainees are welcome to use for extra space and studio time outside of ELAM hours! They will be located on site (in the Car Park) every Wednesday for the next six weeks.

XLP are a youth organisation creating positive futures for young people growing up on inner-city estates in London. They work with young people struggling daily with issues such as family breakdown, unemployment and educational failure, and living in areas that experience high levels of anti-social behaviour and gang violence.

To learn more about XLP and what they do check out their website.