Silkfutures grew out of a simple conviction: that music has the power to transform young lives — and that no young person should be locked out of that experience because of where they come from or what they can afford.
Everything starts with a relationship. Music is the entry point. Movement is another route in. Nature is a third. But the thread running through every programme is the same — the person comes first. We invest time before we expect engagement. Mentors show up off-programme: walks, food, honest conversations, fresh juice in the morning. We put the session plan down and follow the young person’s lead. If a young person doesn’t want to rap, we teach them to engineer. If they need to sit in silence, we sit with them. That is not a failure of structure. It is the model working as intended.
Our mentors train alongside young people — not standing at the front with a clipboard. They bring mood lighting to a community hall and turn it into a studio. They invent rhythm games that ground nervous systems before the music starts. They set homework: “learn the 8 bars you wrote and have a go at writing more.” They bring a portable recording setup on residential trips because the most honest writing happens late at night, after a day of being pushed beyond your limits.
This is how Silkfutures works. We show up, we stay, and we let the young person show us what they need.
WEEKLY OPEN ACCESS SESSION
Every week we run an open access music and mentoring session for young people aged 11–16 at Grange Boys & Girls Club. No referral needed — just turn up.
Where: Grange Boys & Girls Club, Grangetown, Cardiff
Who: Ages 11–16
SET PACE SESSIONS
We run weekly Set Pace movement and wellbeing sessions. Young people can be referred to these sessions by a professional, parent, or carer.
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