Sound Future; The Support Act

This project will develop and empower a cohort of young people (aged 16–24) in Ashington

and surrounding areas to plan, manage, and deliver live music events. Through structured

training sessions and volunteering opportunities, young people will gain technical and

organisational skills in sound engineering, lighting, stage management, stewarding,

budgeting, and live performance.

"The Support Act" will consist of six weekly sessions centred on PA setup, soundchecks, and live audio production. The sessions will be delivered by Jamie Prime of Guerilla Events and structured to enable young people to build competence in technical event production.

Participants will acquire practical skills in:

 Assembling and operating PA systems

 Conducting live soundchecks

 Mixing live audio

 Handling microphones, cables, and stage inputs

 Troubleshooting basic technical faults

 Coordinating stage and performer needs

 Understanding signal flow and live acoustics

The series will culminate in a fully live public performance event, where each participant will contribute to the set-up and execution of the production, working alongside Jamie in various sound engineering and event roles throughout the day and evening.

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The North East Combined Authority (North East CA) was formed on 7 May 2024. It is led by Elected Mayor Kim McGuinness and the Cabinet and covers the seven local authority areas of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.