In the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, young people face certain challenges to creativity, not only in access to technical facilities but also in making connections with like minded people. A vast number of community groups may be competing for access to public space at any one time, and issues of geographical distance and transport make it difficult for young people to travel. We know there are many young people in the Highlands with the potential to create new and exciting music, and we also know they have a difficult job to do in getting it heard by the largely urban-based music industry. While some voluntary groups or Community Education departments may find ways to fund the purchase of equipment for new bands to use, they may find there is a challenge in setting up appropriate training and making the connections with the professional end of the business. The Creative Media Centres, or Hubs, were designed to tackle that issue, to provide a comprehensive technical set up for rehearsal and recording, entry level training and familiarisation, and links to performance and development opportunities on a wider scale.

The project was initially researched in 2003, with the aim of installing a number of Hubs across the Highlands as a pilot initiative. A consultants report was commissioned by Highlands & Islands Enterprise to identify the best locations for the project, and a funding application submitted to the Leader + North Highland programme the same year. The resulting project was then jointly funded by the Leader + programme and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, and managed by HI~Arts. The Hubs are now located in Alness, Brora and Nairn.

If you wish to know more about this or any other HI~Arts music project please contact John Saich at john@hi-arts.co.uk