Help Open Doors for Young Musicians | ACCESS 001

Aim

Help musicians facing financial barriers access free studio time, mentoring, creative development, community and live opportunities.

Opportunity shouldn’t depend on what you can afford

A huge part of becoming a musician happens outside the music itself.

It comes from being around people with more experience, finding collaborators, performing, asking questions, receiving good advice and gradually building the confidence to understand where you fit.

I know that from my own experience. After more than 15 years working in music, some of the most important parts of my development came from older musicians who helped shape my musicianship, performance, confidence and understanding of how to operate professionally.

But access to that kind of support is not equal.

For musicians from lower-income and underserved backgrounds, the cost of studio time, equipment, travel and professional opportunities can mean developing largely alone, without the networks or guidance that help others move forward.

La Vie Studio Access Sessions was created to help close that gap.

What are the Access Sessions?

Created by CBLV Community CIC and delivered through La Vie Studio in Gloucestershire, the programme will give emerging musicians free access to professional creative opportunities that can otherwise be difficult to reach.

Participants will have access to professional recording and production, songwriting and collaborative sessions, mentoring and practical guidance, filmed live performances and paid showcase opportunities.

But this is not simply about helping somebody record a song.

Participants will meet other musicians, work with experienced people, build new relationships and become part of a wider creative community.

They will have space to experiment, ask questions, make mistakes and develop confidence in themselves and their work.

For some, that may help build a future career in music. For others, the lasting value may be new friendships, greater confidence, creative independence and a stronger sense of belonging.

The aim is to give people access to the relationships, experience and opportunities that can change what they believe is possible for them.

Who is it for?

The programme is particularly focused on emerging musicians who face financial or social barriers to accessing these opportunities, including people from lower-income backgrounds and communities that remain underrepresented within music.

Participants will be selected through an open application process.

They do not need existing industry connections or the financial means to access professional spaces independently. The programme exists to make those opportunities more accessible.

We’ve already secured almost £35,000

This is not an idea waiting to see whether it can happen.

The Access Sessions have a total project value of £39,950, and we have already secured approximately £34,950 in cash and in-kind support, including £19,690 from Arts Council England.

The project is going ahead.

We are now crowdfunding the final £5,000 so that we can deliver it at the scale and level of support originally planned.

If we do not close the full gap, we may need to reduce the number of musicians supported or parts of the programme. We want as much of the funding as possible to translate into meaningful opportunities for participants.

What will your donation help make possible?

Money raised will contribute towards the remaining unfunded part of the Access Sessions and help protect participant-facing delivery.

That includes professional recording and production, songwriting and collaborative activity, artist and facilitator fees, filmed performance opportunities, paid showcases, access and travel support, and the coordination needed to deliver the programme properly.

The wider project is already overwhelmingly funded.

Your donation helps us finish it.

Every donation, whether £10, £50 or £100, contributes directly towards closing the remaining gap and protecting the opportunities available to participating musicians.

And sharing the campaign is valuable too. You may know somebody, a business or an organisation that believes access to creativity should not depend on income.

What if we raise more than £5,000?

Then the project gets bigger.

The £5,000 target completes the current funding plan. Any additional money can allow us to support more musicians, extend opportunities and continue developing accessible music programmes through CBLV.

So the target is not a ceiling.

More support means more access.

We are also continuing to seek grant, sponsorship and partnership support. Any additional funding secured beyond the current project budget will allow us to expand the programme, support more musicians and increase the opportunities available.

Who are we?

CBLV Community CIC is a not-for-profit community organisation working to reduce financial and social barriers to music and creative participation.

Our wider work includes free and subsidised music learning, mentoring, artist development and the development of a Community Instrument and Equipment Library for people who cannot easily afford instruments and equipment themselves.

La Vie Studio provides the professional recording environment and production expertise behind the Access Sessions.

The project is led by Sebastien Sanders, musician, producer and educator with more than 15 years of professional experience across recording, production, touring and artist development.

We also have existing relationships and connections with organisations including The Music Works, Gloucestershire Music Hub and Tewkesbury Live.

Help us close the final gap

We have already secured almost everything needed to make the Access Sessions happen.

Now we are asking people, businesses and organisations to help us finish the job.

You can support by donating, sharing this page or introducing us to somebody who may want to become part of the project.

Music can create confidence, skills, friendships, community and possibilities that extend far beyond a recording studio.

We want more musicians to have the chance to discover where those possibilities can lead.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 2nd December 2026 at 7:09pm