Discover
Young Sounds UK bring Discover training to Aberdeen
We’ve been running our Discover training in England since 2008 and we’re now looking to start the programme in Scotland! Starting with free sessions in Aberdeen.
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Making Magic – Q&A with Young Sounds UK
Arts and culture bring joy and connection to everyone’s lives. Through public investment, organisations like Young Sounds UK strive to spread that joy to more people from different backgrounds and walks of life.
As Arts Council England celebrates its 80th anniversary, we asked some of our Young Sounds colleagues to reflect on their own experiences of making a difference in the arts and culture sector.
What motivates you to work for an organisation that supports the arts and culture sector? Why does it matter?
Hester Cockcroft: “Because the arts give our lives meaning: they help us explore our experiences in this world in an infinite number of ways. They’re literally a human right – and of course that starts with children and young people!”
Neil Phillips: “I grew up in a working-class family in the West Midlands, and music has been the thread that has run throughout my life – be it as a performer or in programme management. I believe that the arts and creative expression represent what it means to be human. It’s culture, art and expression that brings the colour and meaning to our existence. I’m extremely proud to work for an organisation that looks to enable that feeling in all young people, no matter what their background is.”
Katie King: “Having taken part in charity-run arts opportunities myself as a young musician, I’ve experienced first-hand the lasting and positive impact they can have. They can open doors to exciting opportunities and lifelong friendships, bring people together and build confidence, and help people achieve more than they may have ever imagined possible. That’s why expanding access to the arts matters to me.”
Beth Harris: “The arts bring so much joy to the everyday, and it’s something that touches every person’s life. Now more than ever, it’s important to nurture real talent from real artists and especially future generations of talent.”
“Seeing the faces of the students as they performed a powerful piece of music that they had composed will stay with me forever”
Get Together in Bradford with the National Folk Ensemble
Can you think of a moment where you saw your work make a difference?
Hester Cockcroft: “One I’ll always remember was after the premiere of a new commission involving multiple schools: professional musicians they’d been working with had been signing the concert programmes. A boy rushed up to me and said ’they’ll be wanting my autograph next!’ I’ll never forget that.”
Neil Phillips: “A couple of years ago in Bradford, 60 students from Connect joined 60 musicians from the National Folk Ensemble, led by Joe Broughton, to create a new piece of music together. The musical ability of everyone was catered for, so that even those who were only at the beginning of their learning were able to contribute to the composition. The standout moment was when the piece was performed together by all 120 musicians for parents at the end of the day – seeing the faces of the students as they performed a powerful piece of music that they had composed, will stay with me forever.”
Katie King: “At any of our musical opportunity events. It’s so inspiring to see the young musicians grow in confidence over a single day.”
Beth Harris: “Capturing special moments at our events like concerts and Thrive Days and getting to see musicians and their families share the images afterwards is always such a joy!”
Tell us about a favourite memory from your time working at Young Sounds.
Hester Cockcroft: “Jess Gillam, Young Sounds Alumna Patron, when she auditioned for our Thrive programme for the first time. She was about 12, and her energy and musicality was so engaging and inspiring – it was clear she was going to be a great musician.”
Alumna Patron Jess Gillam performing with Thrive musicians at Drapers’ Hall, 2025
Neil Phillips: “I’m very proud of how the Connect programme has grown and developed since I joined in 2018. We host a termly meeting with all of our regional Connectors, and for my first meeting there were six people in a small room at Leicestershire County Council office. Since then, we’ve recruited new Hub partners, become an ACE NPO and NYMO and successfully bid to lead the Music Opportunities Pilot, all of which have led to substantial programme growth.
By October 2024 that termly Connector meeting had turned into a national conference with over 60 attendees from 23 Music Hubs, ACE, Youth Music, DfE and more. Just before the opening welcome, Young Sounds CEO Hester Cockcroft and I had a brief moment, looking out at the full tables and reflecting on the hard work it had taken to build the programme so successfully.”
Thrive Industry Day at London College of Music
Katie King: “It has to be the jam at the end of our Thrive Industry Day at the London College of Music. Seeing all the young musicians support and encourage each other and put what they’d learned into practice was really special to see.”
Beth Harris: “I really enjoyed working at a recent Discover training session at Manchester Metropolitan University, led by our fantastic Discover facilitators Hugh and Beth. It was such a joy to see a room full of PGCE students on the start of their journeys as teachers, learning how to spot and nurture the signs of musical potential in children – and having lots of fun playing music, even though most didn’t consider themselves musicians!”
Discover facilitators Beth and Hugh delivering training to PGCE students at Manchester Metropolitan University
What’s your current creative obsession?
Hester Cockcroft: “I’ve written a children’s book: you heard it here first (no spoilers though)!”
Neil Phillips: “My ‘current’ creative obsession is the same one I’ve had since I was about 14. I have been and always will be a songwriter. Previously this was professionally, but these days it’s a hobby that often doesn’t even result in a finished song. But lyrics, melodies or riffs, will always present themselves to me whether I want them to or not – and often at inconvenient times (just drifting off to sleep, out running, in the supermarket). I hope I never lose the desire to create something completely new – even if it’s just an interesting turn of phrase every now and again.”
Katie King: “I’ve recently been enjoying creating music in the software Ableton Live. It’s so fun to experiment with and make interesting sounds!”
Beth Harris: “I’ve been loving crocheting 3D flowers this year and have been watching lots of films – from Best Picture nominations to cheesy low-budget flicks and everything in between!”