Directors’ foreword

“2025 has been a year of remarkable growth and transformation for The Song School. We began the year by completing the Create South East Programme from DCMS - an invaluable opportunity that helped us sharpen our vision, strengthen our business plan, and clearly communicate our unique proposition for young people. This process led to a major breakthrough: making direct connections between our work and alternative career pathways in music and the wider creative industries.

Our community has continued to flourish - we have reached more young people than ever before. Our weekly timetable and special projects have never been busier, with this Autumn’s intake setting a new record. As our reputation spreads, we are receiving more inquiries than ever from young people seeking financial support to join us. It is a testament to our progress that we no longer need to actively persuade anyone that The Song School is the place for them—our community speaks for itself.

Our commitment to inclusion has never been stronger. With the guidance of our in-house Inclusion Lead, we have supported staff and parents/caregivers with new strategies and advice, further enriching our environment. This dedication was recognised with the award of Alternative Provision status by the Local Authority - a significant milestone that acknowledges the impact of our work, especially for neurodivergent young people.

We have also secured the ongoing support of key funding partners, such as the Postcode Lottery and Essex Community Foundation, and launched a major new project with Youth Music. Additional funding from Arts Council England, along with new partnerships with c2c Rail, USP College, and Leigh Folk Festival, have enabled us to secure the future of Drop the Mic! for a third year.

We enter 2026 in our strongest position yet, with exciting new projects and partnerships on the horizon. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together, and I look forward to seeing our community continue to grow, thrive, and make a difference in the year ahead.”

Louisa Strachan, Founder & Director of The Song School

Community Development

Our community has grown by an incredible 60% this year. Alongside expanding our existing programmes, we have created new communities within schools, launched holiday projects, and continued to build the vibrant Drop the Mic! community.

REGULAR TIMETABLE

We have continued to extend our weekly class timetable, with a strong focus on instrument sessions. Group guitar classes have been the most consistent, showing high attendance and retention rates, as well as a steady stream of new interest. We’ve invested significant effort into understanding what makes these sessions successful, with the aim of replicating that environment across other disciplines.

The number of sessions delivered has steadily increased, reaching a total of 831 this year. We added additional Guitar, Music Production, and Songwriting sessions, and reintroduced Vocal Tech 2 - our vocals class for ages 12–14.

Mentoring & career development

Our youth mentor team continues to support younger peers during sessions, passing on knowledge, fostering our culture, and developing their own leadership skills. This year, with the invaluable support of Youth Music - who came on board at the end of the summer, ready for the new academic year - we were able to double the size of our youth mentor team, deliver dedicated training sessions, and introduce a Senior Youth Mentor level. This new structure gives those aged 16+ greater responsibility and a deeper understanding of safeguarding.

On the staff side, we advanced our workforce development by introducing the Associate Music Coach level - offering career progression and vocational training. During the Autumn term, we promoted our first Music Assistant into this new Associate role.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE

Music performance remains the main benchmark for increased confidence and self-esteem across all our communities. We have continued to run our regular youth open mic, Drop the Mic!, while also introducing industry sessions and opportunities to develop technical and event management skills. Highlights this year included busking, performances at The Palace Theatre, and returning to Chinnerys for our annual event - The Next Wave.

Projects & Partners

The development of our community would not be possible without the support of our brilliant partners. This year, we have worked hard to build closer relationships with organisations that share our values of community and inclusion. The result has been greater cohesion across our projects and a stronger, more connected community.

THE FEELGOOD MUSIC PROJECT

In partnership with Ewan’s Music and Essex County Council, we finally brought the Feelgood Music Project to life. (Scroll up to watch the final output—a full-scale music video and brand new song, written by the participants.) This project took us to Canvey Island, reaching new audiences in an area with particularly high deprivation. The original timeline was ambitious, as we were essentially unknown on the island. In consultation with our partners, we shifted the final delivery to the Easter holidays and ran in-school workshops to engage local young people. In the end, the project reached around 40 participants and resulted in an inspiring creative output.

DROP THE MIC!

This year, Drop the Mic! entered its third year, supported by new funders, sponsors, and project partners. The next phase of development is being supported by The Arts Council via their grassroots music fund. c2c Rail has come on board as a sponsor, working closely with us to develop our audiences, alongside USP College and the Greater Essex Music Hub. We’re also excited to be heading back to Leigh Folk Festival in 2026 to host the Youth Stage.

THE COLLABORATE CLUB

The Collaborate Club was launched as an after-school initiative inside schools, designed to extend the positive impact of our songwriting and youth voice projects. The pilot saw us work with approximately 40 young people, introducing them to songwriting, storytelling, and collaboration. The feedback was extremely positive, and we’re looking forward to launching phase two of this project in 2026.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026