The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is bringing its commitment to accessible, forward-thinking music-making to Newcastle this February with a three-day half-term intensive for young people aged 13–18.
Taking place from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 February, 11:00–15:00 at Cobalt Studios (Boyd Street, Newcastle, NE2 1AP), the project will see NYJO working in partnership with Cobalt Studios and balletLORENT to support young people from balletLORENT’s Youth Academy.
NYJO is an organisation dedicated to making jazz and creative music-making more accessible to early-career musicians, young people, and audiences across the UK. By creating a meeting ground between the established and the experimental—bridging the past, present, and future of jazz—NYJO develops bespoke programmes that engage both lifelong and new jazz fans. Central to its work is the professional development of emerging artists alongside a robust learning programme for under-18s, delivered in collaboration with like-minded partners and shaped by the voices of young people.
Our balletLORENT Youth Academy students aged 13–18 have the opportunity to take part in an exciting half-term intensive led by NYJO, working alongside professional musicians and educators to create an original cross-artform performance. Young people will work with NYJO Lead Educator Milli-Rose Rubin, supported by NYJO Emerging Professional musicians, to experiment across jazz, movement, and performance, developing their creative skills and artistic confidence.
The intensive will culminate in the creation of a performance piece that participants will showcase at Cobalt Studios in March, forming a support performance ahead of NYJO’s live show with Theon Cross. By responding to local community needs and centring young people’s creativity, the project aims to create an inclusive learning environment that nurtures talent, collaboration, and bold artistic expression.
