It is been a while since the Foundation has been in a position to re-visit past projects due to financial constraints, so the fact that we can now send James Adams back to Freetown for a second wave of training for the local guys fills us with joy. The studio is such an integral part of society and we are just happy that we can continue to support them.
Related news: WAYOut Arts News Archive
For us the biggest impact we have seen, and are very proud of, is the way that our studio has changed the lives of many of many by providing a place to perform and record music and giving the community the means to express themselves musically, instead of gang violence. It is this news that strengthens our resolve that music really can change the world. Even if it’s one beat at a time.
We asked James to write and give us an update, and are very please to be sharing this with you here:
“The WAYout studios project is the most valuable project I’ve been involved with to date. From it’s initiation in 2012, made possible by WAYout’s director, Hazel Chandler and the support of the Joe Strummer Foundation, it has provided a cultural hub with open doors for hundreds of of disadvantaged youth in Freetown.
After setting up and providing a month of intensive training in audio engineering and production, I left them to fend for themselves.
There are now 2 full time engineers and 2 producers. They have a huge waiting list of young musicians and rappers, eager to record. Some come from the provinces and sleep on the streets in anticipation of their chance. Apprentice producers and engineers come and learn the skills of the trade, which may help them find a more favourable place in society.
The studio stands as one of the best in the country-certainly in terms of live instrument capacity and expertise.
Without access to internet resources, however, and faced with complex production software, tired equipment and a full on schedule, the engineers and producers struggle to improve the quality of their productions.
The Joe Strummer Foundation have kept this project as a priority and as soon as they were in a position to do so, they offered to support another wave of training and an equipment update.
So it is with great excitement and vigour that I’m sourcing a new core studio set up-including a brand-new computer, updated and powerful software, monitor speakers, controller keyboards. I’ll fly this out with me and deliver two waves of training.
There’s room in the budget to update/repair old equipment which will be moved into a newly prepared smaller room, which can be used for training and editing, freeing up the main studio and speeding up production.” – James Adams, April 2015
Strummerville Calling
There are two ways you can help support The Joe Strummer Foundation continue the work we do. One is by making a monetary donation via our DONATE PAGE (you can donate to the Foundation, or check the “I would like to donate to this designated fund” box and select the current projects we are collecting for).
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