Greenhouse Music

Budding musicians are hitting the right note in Sunniside thanks to new training facilities that are helping to build on the city’s thriving music scene.

Greenhouse Music has been running in Sunderland for the past seven years. Originally offering recording studios and an editing suite, the company has since developed into a successful not-for-profit organisation that offers free training and support to youngsters with musical ambition.

Now based in the up-and-coming regeneration area of Sunniside in the city centre, Greenhouse has been able to expand and upgrade its facilities, becoming the only dedicated and accredited music provider in the North East, working with the likes of Business Link, Sunderland City Council’s adult and community learning programme and Sunderland’s Business and Innovation Centre.

Greenhouse Training specialises in music based qualifications such as DJ skills, music technology and sound engineering and is accredited up to level three standard. Information technology is also becoming a major part of what the organisation can offer, having recently become a certified Microsoft Training Centre and UK online centre.

It has also recently launched the successful First Steps project, which helps support homeless people through training and is the only project of its kind in Sunderland to have been funded through the Princes Trust.

Kellie Woods, who is the brains behind Greenhouse Training – the educational arm of Greenhouse Music, said the First Steps Project had been successfully introduced by the members.

“We had four or five homeless people on the training programme so we supported them by putting them up in temporary accommodation. As a result of this, and with funding from the Princes Trust, they set up a kitchen and washing area and have now linked up with the Fair Share programme which aims to improve the living environment for communities. We are now hoping to employ a dedicated support worker.”

Greenhouse has around 100 members using the recording facilities and training resources every week.

Kellie, 27, of Roker, Sunderland, said the income from the studio hire had enabled them to fund the free community training they provide.

She said: “I got involved in Greenhouse Music when it was just a studio and editing suite in Pennywell. I have more of a business than music background but I am very passionate about music and wanted to develop a way of making it accessible to people from all backgrounds.

“There was an obvious lack of music provision in the area and a lot of people interested in taking it up but without the means to fund it themselves. We started to apply for funding and the training side has developed over the past five years.

“We get people coming from all over Sunderland and now we have members from as far as Whitley Bay. It is very membership led and we consult heavily with our users as it is important that they are given a say on how the organisation runs.”

Greenhouse is based in Nile Street, Sunniside and is open to anyone over the age of 18.