Sound Gallery

Aims and Objectives
Sound Gallery CIC is a social enterprise, founded in September 2007 by a team of driven and experienced musicians, educators and technicians. Sound Gallery is dedicated to the development of original creative works produced by talented musicians and to the provision of music-making opportunities, especially for young people aged 11-25 who are socially or financially disadvantaged and lacking in creative opportunities. Our underlying themes and driving principles are: accessibility, equal opportunities, creative learning, originality, talent, passion and innovative, high quality artistic work. Sound Gallery aims to nurture, support and develop musicians and musical projects in the South West of England.

History
Previous to becoming a CIC, Sound Gallery's team of volunteers, freelance musicians, songwriters and producers were involved in delivering music technology workshops, enrichment programmes and multi-media projects, promoting live music events for local bands, seeking commissions for talented artists and organising music industry seminars, exhibitions and festivals in and around Exeter for several years. These key people are now valuable staff members and Directors of Sound Gallery CIC and as a direct result of their work, our organisation has an excellent reputation and has forged strong links with many key players involved in the music industry, including countless musicians, arts organisations, businesses, schools and colleges at local, regional and national level.

What is a Social Enterprise?
Sound Gallery Studios is set up and run by Sound Gallery CIC, a social enterprise set up primarily to offer access and music making opportunities to young people aged 11-18, especially those who are socially or financially disadvantaged and are at risk of social exclusion. Our studios are driven by the desire to make a difference in people's life chances and to benefit young people who are not in education, employment or training. Unlike other commercial businesses, we reinvest our profits back into our business so we can do more good, instead of distributing them to directors or shareholders like other commercial businesses. In short, Sound Gallery combines doing business with doing good at the same time!

Social aims and objectives
Sound Gallery aims to become financially self-sustainable by widening its range of potential funding sources to include commercial trading and loan finance as well as grant funding, which has previously been its main source of income as a voluntary organisation. Sound Gallery’s objectives as a social enterprise, are concerned first and foremost with community interest, rather than commercial gain for its members. Any profits are invested into the development of the organisation for the benefit of the local community; there is no option for profit sharing to shareholders.

Sound Gallery Studios Sound Gallery CIC runs Sound Gallery Studios, a professional recording studio at Exeter Phoenix in the cultural heart of the city. Sound Gallery also provides rehearsal spaces and designs and delivers live music showcases, music technology courses, multi-media projects and music industry events.

Key Successes & Projects: 2001-2011

2001-2006: Sound Gallery is established as a not-for-profit music development organisation by Jim Peters after receiving a small grant from the Elmgrant Trust (established by Lord Young) in order to set up an online virtual community for local musicians and organise live music showcases with interactive projections in Exeter and the surrounding areas.

2001-present: 'Virtual Vincenzo' project. Sound Gallery's digital restoration project of an early Italian harpsichord build by Vincenzo Sodi in 1782, currently stored at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. The actual instrument is scheduled to be on show to the public in December 2011.

2002-2007: UnLtd Millennium Award Level 1 was awarded to Jim Peters as a social entrepreneur to launch a youth enrichment programme: C.O.B.R.A (City of Bristol Rising Artists) in collaboration with City of Bristol College. This project brought together students with musicians and industry professionals from music production, recording and video editing in order to enrich the educational environment and to bring more positive attitudes to personal development and attainment.

May 2004: 'New Works for Lost Voices' a multi-media performance featuring the 'Virtual Vincenzo' with new commissions and performances by David Cottam, Swanston, Grice, Hilary Boxer, Tim Boxer and Ntropic and an especially commissioned film by Verity Healy inspired by Gabriel D'Annunzio's poem about Scarlatti featuring original super8 footage filmed by C.J. Peters.

June 2005: 'State of the Arts' event: A feast for the eyes and the ears, this audio visual extravaganza included an arts and music exhibition and a host of seminars and workshops, followed by an evening which showcased a diverse range of high-quality, original music and art, created and performed by talented local artists. Music industry seminars: MU, South West Music Industry forum, Youth Music, Arts Council England, Exeter City Council, Arts & Business - Live performances, featuring Art Brut, Mark Chadwick (The Levellers), The Worrydolls, Swanston, The Waxroom, Nixon and the Burn, Chartwell Dutiro The event also featured a dance piece choreographed by professional dancer Jo Moulton (FunClub Dance) inspired by a specially commissioned piece of music 'Comfort Zone' written by Grice. State of the Arts took place at Exeter Phoenix and was organised by Sound Gallery in association with CRAMP.

June 2005: 'State of the Arts' 2 week exhibition featured the 'Mermaid Guitar' built by Andy Manson and played by Julie Ellison at the launch of the exhibition, Sound Gallery's 'Virtual Vincenzo' interactive installation with an introduction by Robert Porch (keyboard instruments expert) and an audio-visual jukebox showcasing local musicians from Exeter and the surrounding areas.

July 2005: EMIG the Exeter Music Industry Group is established in a meeting with 25 key players in Exeter (promoters, venue owners, artists and studio owners) following the reflective process that took place after the 'State of the Arts' event earlier in that year, as a subsidiary of the South West Music Industry Forum.

2006-2010: Phoenixsounds monthly live music showcase events for new and established bands and artists featuring interactive visual projections at the Voodoo Lounge at Exeter Phoenix. These high standards events featured countless artists and bands, such as Evi Vine, The Chris Letcher band, Swanston, The Waxroom, Worrydolls, Dan Crisp, Rebecca Worthley, Veil Cassini, Kat Marsh, John Matthias, 40 Thieves Orchestar, Craig Blundell, Cole Stacey, The Weaver Twins and more. The events were organised by Sound Gallery in association with Niki Portus (Aeon Festival) and supported by PRSF.

2006-present: Exeter Rising Artists (E.R.A) programme is launched in Exeter following the success of City of Bristol Rising Artists, featuring 3 strands: Form a Band, Digital Sounds and Sing it (creative music-making programmes for young people aged 11-18 years)

May 2007: Moon Maths project: a short film documenting the journey of 15 students from City of Bristol College to Stonehenge. The project aimed to re-engage a group of young people with Maths. Using modern technology and natural elements such as the sun path and lunar cycles at Stonehenge, an original musical score was generated from data collected at the site using digital midi technology and analogue models. This project was a collaboration between Sound Gallery and Playback Theatre.

Sept 2007-present: Sound Gallery CIC is founded as a social enterprise dedicated to the development of original creative works produced by talented musicians of all ages and to the provision of music-making opportunities for young people aged 11-25, especially those who are socially or financially disadvantaged and lacking in creative opportunities, with an aim to nurture, support and develop musicians and musical projects in the South West of England.

2007-2010: The Sunday Social: started an open mic event at Exeter Phoenix, showcasing acoustic bands, singer-songwriters and Djs based in the Southwest.

2008-present: Sound Gallery Studios, refurbished the basement floor at Exeter Phoenix and build a professional recording studio offering professional audio, music production and recording services, band rehearsal and training facilities in the cultural heart of the Southwest, including recording, mixing and mastering facilities, music commissions, voice-overs, sound design, music technology courses, youth enrichment programmes and music industry events.

2008-2010: Next Level DJ Academy is launched as a one stop resource for training, personnel and professional hire in all areas of the dance music industry in association with Reform Records.

2008-present: Creative music technology courses workshops and masterclasses on music production and recording techniques, Audio for Artists, Soft Synths, Sound Design and Soundtrack for Film.

2008-present: Underground radio show , 'Maida Vale' style, live sessions from Sound Gallery Studios linked with our neighbouring community radio station PhonicFM 106.8 and interviews with special guests featuring: Grice, Raphael Ravenscroft, Victoria Hume, Veil Cassini, Kat Marsh, Sonja Kris (Curved Air), Lee Fletcher, Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller) and Annie Rew-Shaw.

March 2008-March 2011: Sound Gallery Youth Volunteering project Sound Gallery receives £120,000 in funding from V the national youth volunteer charity with an aim to create and offer volunteering opportunities in the music industry to young people. Over the period of 3 years we recruited over 90 young volunteers who took part in developing our organisation, running the studio and developing their own projects (eg. The Breakthrough Music Project: a talent competition and live music showcase for musicians under 19 yrs funded by Vcashpoint and YOF). According to the Exeter Volunteer Centre, our volunteering opportunities provoked the biggest response they had seen for five years!

2009-present: 'Analogue to Digital Music Expo' a unique event of its kind in the Southwest, celebrating innovation and creativity in music production and performance with hands-on demos, master-classes and workshops led by the world's leading experts in music technology (Yamaha, Fender, Avid, IKMultimedia, Shure, Arturia, Roland, Allen & Heath etc). The event has featured guest speakers such as John Leckie: British music producer The Stone Roses, The Bends (Radiohead) and The Origin of Symmetry (MUSE)- Howard Jones: accomplished singer-songwriter, one of the defining figures of mid 1980s synthpop and member of the board of directors for the Featured Artists Coalition - Paul Gray: original bassist for Eddie and the Hot Rods and the Damned and Regional Officer for the British Musicians Union in Wales and Southwest of England - Ted Fletcher: Originally worked with Joe Meek and launched the Joe Meek brand, designed and build countless high end studio gear for the likes of Jethro Tull, YES and The Who - Lee Fletcher: English record producer, composer, arranger, engineer and film maker. Recently, he arranged and produced an album by ex- Fairport Convention singer Judie Dyble. A2D 'SOUND ON SOUND MAGAZINE' PANEL from the biggest music technology magazine in the world which recently celebrated the achievement of 25 years continuous publication, featuring Paul White (Editor in Chief, Studio SOS), Hugh Robjohns (Technical Editor, Studio SOS) Paul Gilby (New Media Manager) and Martin Walker. More: www.analogue-to-digital.com

Nov 2010: hungersleep productions Ltd , set up a music production company and record label which works with new and emerging artists and composers through to established artists and promotes innovation and excellence in all their recordings and productions to the music industry in the UK and abroad. More: www.hungersleepproductions.com

June 2011-present: SiMPTI (Standards in Music, Production, Technology and Industry) a programme of training, learning and working experiences designed to provide access to a commercial recording studio and the tools used in creative production and recording, as well as workshops, masterclasses and music industry events delivered by music industry experts and professionals. More: www.simpti.com

Why choose Sound Gallery Studios?
1. Because it is run by a Social Enterprise. By choosing to use Sound Gallery Studios, you are making a contribution to our social objectives and you are playing a part in changing lives and putting something back in the community.
2. Because we employ professional sound engineers and producers with many years experience in the music industry, who are also approachable, friendly and fun to work with.
3. Because we have high standards, acoustically designed rooms and high-end equipment, converters, mics etc which means that we deliver professionally sounding recordings which will set your product apart from others and will help you get noticed by the music industry.
4. Because of our unique links with the music industry and being ahead of the game in terms of innovations in music creation, production and recording through the Analogue to Digital Music Expo that we host in Exeter every year.
5. Because we manage to have competitive rates without compromising results.
6. Because Sound Gallery is founded by musicians and artists who love music and is run by people who love what they do!

Over the past 10 years we have worked with:

Arts Organisations:
Academy of Music and Sound, Exeter Phoenix, Phoenix Digital, tEXt Festival, FSOE, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Spacex Gallery, MOP, CRAMP, Vibraphonic Festival, PhonicFM, Exeter Autumn Festival, Exeter Respect Festival, Exeter Festival Chorus, Exeter Children’s Orchestra, First Light, Exeter Youth Offending Team, Exeter Primary Care Trust, Connexions, The IVY Project, The Courage to Sing, Soundwaves Music Project, Daisy, Animated Exeter.

Schools/Colleges:
City of Bristol College, ISCA, Magdalene Court School, QE Community College, West Exe School, Weston College, West of England College, Exeter College

Other organisations:
ASDAN, National Youth Agency, Participation Works, Arts & Business, Exeter Music Industry Group, South West Music Industry Forum, Musicians Union, Rockschool, BT, BBC (Radio One & The One Show)

Local Businesses:
Mansons Guitars, Reform Records, Musicroom, Broom Reid & Harris, Thistle Hotel in Exeter

Policies & Procedures
Sound Gallery has a full complement of policies and procedures covering all aspects of our work, including Child Protection Policy, Health and Safety, Quality Assurance, Equal Opportunities, Confidentiality and Data protection policies. Sound Gallery has been inspected by the Devon County Council under the Devon Education Business Partnership Work Experience scheme for the last 3 years on a regular basis and has obtained a certificate of approval. Sound Gallery CIC is also Reach Achieved. This certificate has been awarded by the Youth Action network and reflects our focus on good practice involving volunteers as well as having all policies required in place.

Support Sound Gallery
If you wish to support Sound Gallery CIC and its Social Objectives, please contact us: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it