Our Story
How it started…
In summer 2019, Circle of Light hosted a Youth Music funded project which aimed to create a safe space for those facing mental health problems and music industry barriers. Mostly strangers to each other, a group of 30 young people from Nottingham came together in Metronome’s underground studio to make a collaborative music album in just 3 weeks. Guided by rapper Scor-Zay-Zee and community mogul Tricia Gardiner, the project was an incredible success. The album was professionally released with local label I’m Not From London and was pressed to vinyl. With the support of BBC Inside Out and Summaya from BBC Radio Leicester, we hosted a huge album launch gig at the Metronome venue and it wasn't long before our entire city knew who we were and wanted to get involved. The rest of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 was packed with radio and TV interviews. We performed as a collective for Hockey Hustle and on Rock City's main stage for Beat The Streets. We worked on a film score for the British Film Institute and won awards from Youth Music and YCA.
How it’s going…
We have finally set up camp in our new home at Fisher Gate Point where we’ve built a creative space and recording studio. This space has been used to host our second, third and fourth COL album project and the COL family grew and grew. We have won some more awesome awards, set up our own youth run record label and partnered with Rock School to provide certified educational pathways. This is just the beginning! We imagine a future where access to music is equal, where grassroots talent is nurtured by industry leaders and where young people feel safe enough to take charge in manifesting their ideas. Circle of Light is where the culture and innovators of the next generation are flourishing and it is causing rumbles across the UK music industry.
Awards
Youth Music Live Performance Award
Mae Monypenny AKA EAM did us proud at the Youth Music awards in 2019 when she won the Live Performance Award for her incredible use of a loop pedal and vocal layering.
Young Creative Award
Form is COL’s female collective. The 4 members consist of Emily Makis, Tiffany Jade, Simran Johal and Poppy Scoffings who won a Young Creative Award in the competitive 18-24’s music category 2020.
Youth Music X Bicep Competition
Adrian Rayworth AKA Rayworth came 3rd runner up in Youth Musics 2020 Bicep competition for his production on the electronic track Connection made as part of our second album project.
The Documentary
BBC Inside Out joined us on our very first project to document and share our story.
Previous Projects
2019
COL Album Project 1
COL Performance - Spanky Van Dykes
BBC Insider - Circle of Light Documentary
COL Album 1 Launch Gig - Metronome
COL stage - Hockley Hustle
2020
Youth Music X COL - Christmas Album Project
Voice Over Project - Barnardos Christmas TV Advert
Lockdown Zoom Masterclasses
COL Album Project 2
COL Album Launch - Livestream
COL Live Performance - Nottstopping Festival
COL Performance - Light Hustle Festival
Film Score for the British Film Institute
COL Performance - Beat the Streets, Rock City Main Stage
2021
COL Podcast Ep.2
COL Podcast Launch Ep.1
COL Album Project 3
COL Album Launch Gig & Livestream - Nottingham Contemporary
RSL Diploma Launch
Website & Music Studio Launch
COL Performance - To Hull And Back Festival
2022
SoNG X Youth Music - Give A Gig Week
COL Podcast Ep.3
Circle of Light Album Project 4
Music for Sountrack Project with Leon Dixon-Goulden
Nottin Industry X COL - Creative Content Workshop
COL Podcast Ep.4
RSL Diploma Completion
COL Album Launch Gig - The Bodega
Arts Award Centre Registration
Industry Mentors
Partners
Kate Rounding
As Partnership Director for the Circle of Light, Kate is supporting the vision and aims of the organisational partners, and leading on the development of a collaborative project board. Kate has 30 years of experience in music, education and inclusion leadership.
Education & Bass
Education & Bass combines music and arts education with live performances. Workshops, seminars, guest lecturers, Q&A and no rules electronic music are the foundation of this unique concept. COL are working with E&B to offer qualification opportunities to developing young people within our community.
Molly-May Gardiner
As a professional musical theatre actress and a clinical hypnotherapist, Molly mentors our young adults to reveal their fullest potential as performers. She has co-developed a COL wellbeing programme that aims to empower young adults to use creativity as a vehicle to help them face and overcome internal battles.
Steph Archer
Steph has a background in dance, theatre, TV and film, and is also a certified life coach and NLP practitioner, specialising in confidence and positive body image. She has co-developed the COL wellbeing thread which will provide valuable tools to help people find their unique strength and brilliance.
We are proud to share that four of our Circle of Light leaders are trained in mental health first aid.
We are grateful for Youth Music, who provide the funding and continued support that helps to make the Circle of Light Project a grassroots staple in the Nottingham community, and a rising national platform for amplifying young creative voices.