Band Production & Communications – freelance

Over the last few years we’ve been working with two bands of exceptional musicians who have spent time in places of detention in the UK. Both are multi-linguistic and fuse musical styles from the Middle East, Europe and Africa. The Hear Me Out Band (soon to be renamed) started as a project with people we’d met in detention centres and The Unknowns was formed by people attending our asylum hotel sessions. They’ve recorded amazing tracks and performed at community events and festivals, music venues and carnivals.

Now we have two years’ funding from Arts Council England to help each of these bands to develop new repertoire, a distinctive sound, an independent brand and online presence, profile with promoters, and community engagement collaborations with Hear Me Out. We aim to help them transition from a ‘charity project’ model, to a hybrid ‘charity-industry’ model focused on recording, gigging/touring and making their way in the music scene. We look forward to helping them win recognitions as the superb musicians they are, reaching mainstream music audiences, influencing public attitudes and offering role models to people going through the asylum/detention system.

We’re looking for someone with production and communications experience, ideally in both industry and charity contexts, to play a central role in this exciting project. Working around -1 day per week (42 days per year), with peaks and troughs in line with the band schedules, you’ll be the go-to person for the two bands, organising and producing their gigs, building up their brand and socials, helping get them noticed and telling their stories.