AboutPrevious to becoming a CIC, our team of volunteers and freelance artists have been 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 members and Directors of Sound Gallery CIC and, as a direct result of their work, Sound Gallery has forged excellent links with many key players involved in the music industry, arts organisations, schools and colleges at local, regional, and national levels.
Services
We provide a range of services and resources, including Sound Gallery Studios (professional recording studios and rehearsal space in the heart of Exeter), Workshops, Courses and Vocational Training (training and development in all aspects of music creation and the music industry), Phoenix Sounds (a showcase of up and coming, independent bands and musicians) The Sunday Social and the Underground Radio show on PhonicFM.
Our Aims & Objectives
Sound Gallery’s social objectives are to help, support, promote, advise, educate and train musicians towards a career in the music industry, whether this means playing in an orchestra or a band, writing music for film, becoming a music producer or recording engineer, promoting live music events, or training as a community musician. We also work with young people who are at risk of social exclusion through music enrichment programmes and volunteering schemes within a supportive environment.
Sound Gallery aims to become financially self-sustainable by widening our range of potential funding sources to include commercial trading and loan finance as well as grant funding, which has previously been our main source of income as a voluntary organisation. Sound Gallery’s objectives are concerned first and foremost with community interest, rather than commercial gain for its members. Any profits are ploughed back into the development of our organisation for the benefit of the local community; there is no option for profit sharing to shareholders.
Sound Gallery’s activities and key successes
Sound Gallery operates from a music development centre situated in the basement at Exeter Phoenix in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter. Sound Gallery Studios offer audio recording, mixing and mastering services; rehearsal space hire; music-making workshops for young people; guitar workshops and music software training courses for the general public, bespoke services to businesses, arts organisations, schools and colleges, including voice-over recordings and a music library for radio and television ads, interactive websites and podcasts, music composition and commissions for new works. Our projects and activities are concerned with creativity and innovation through music, nurturing the next generation by giving them a platform for being creative and pro-active, facilitating musicians' creative needs and helping them to realise their projects, and offering employment opportunities to freelance educators, technicians and musicians.
Several hundred people have already used our facilities since we opened our doors in May 2008, including bands and singer-songwriters using the rehearsal space and recording studio, as well as individuals participating in volunteering, training, workshops, projects, seminars and live music events. Within the space of a few months we have had 130+ bands (we estimate there are currently at least 400 bands in Exeter, East & Mid Devon) using our facilities, which reflects a proven demand for our services and resources.
Sound Gallery has also managed to secure sponsorship in kind and financial support from Mansons Guitar shop and Fender, as well as funding from the national youth volunteering charity - V - for a three year volunteering programme for young people aged 16-25. We aim to recruit 90 young volunteers between 2008 and 2011, and we are well on the way towards meeting that target. In fact the Exeter Volunteer Centre recently told us that our volunteering opportunities provoked the biggest response they had seen for five years!
We recently organised the first ever Music Technology Expo in the South West with stalls, demonstrations and workshops by the world’s leading music technology manufacturers. We are proposing to establish this as an annual event which will be aimed at nurturing relationships between Sound Gallery and leading music industry companies, educational establishments, local businesses and arts organisations.
Organisations we have worked with:
Mansons Guitar Shop, Fender, Academy of Music and Sound, City of Bristol College, Exeter Phoenix, Exeter Phoenix Media Centre, tEXt Festival, FSOE (Future Sound of Exeter), Spacex Gallery, MOP (Meaningful Occupation Project), CRAMP (Crediton Rural Arts & Music Project), Vibraphonic Festival, Phonic FM, Exeter Autumn Festival, Exeter Festival Chorus, Exeter Children’s Orchestra, First Light, Exeter Youth Offending Team, Exeter Primary Care Trust, Connexions, Magdalene Court School, QE Community College (Crediton), Westexe School (Exeter), Weston College, West of England College (Exeter), The IVY Project, ASDAN, National Youth Agency, Participation Works, Arts & Business, Exeter Music Industry Group, South West Music Industry Forum, Musicians Union, Rockschool (music examinations board), BBC (Radio One & The One Show).
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following organisations and businesses:
Current funders/sponsors
Vinvolved, Youth Opportunities Fund, Co-operative Membership Community Group, O2, PRS Foundation for New Music, Mansons Guitar Shop, Fender, Pharos Works and CDO.
Previous funders
Awards for All, Devon Community Foundation (Local Network Fund & Positive Steps Fund), UnLtd, Arts & Business, shop@Panasonic, Gemini FM, Margaret Pike Charity, City of Bristol College, Aim Higher, Exeter City Council, PRSFoundation for New Music, Exeter Arts Council.
