Some summers stay with you. This was one of them.
As we celebrated our 35th anniversary year, we spent the summer doing what we’ve always done: investing in young talent, building community and creating opportunities through music.
Over ten extraordinary weeks, we showed what such commitment can achieve when young people are given the chance to learn, grow and thrive.
We took over Southbank Centre’s Riverside Terrace, celebrated the participants on our Young Artist Development Programme with our Extraordinary Summer Showcase, hosted four unforgettable days of music in the Tomorrow’s Warriors Big Top at We Out Here Festival, staged a major takeover at King’s Cross Summer Sounds, celebrated the impact of British Black culture at Black On The Square, and saw Nu Civilisation Orchestra perform at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms and tour with Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai.
Across our Big Summer of Music, 213 musicians took to the stage for 49 performances, reaching live audiences of more than 51,200 people and each of these moments represented something much bigger than the performance itself.
Wherever you found us, you witnessed musicians at different stages of their journey sharing knowledge, experience and inspiration. Young artists taking important next steps in their development. Established alumni continuing to break new ground. Audiences discovering fresh voices and perspectives. Together, they reflected the strength of a community that continues to grow across generations.
Behind every performances was the generous support of our donors and funders that makes our young musicians’ journeys possible.
The impact of this vital support could be seen in the young artists who immersed themselves in Summer Runnings, spending two intensive weeks learning, collaborating and developing their craft before showcasing their work on the Southbank Centre Terrace and at our Extraordinary Summer Showcase in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer.
The impact could be heard throughout 4 remarkable days at We Out Here Festival, where 23 TW emerging artist-led bands featuring 136 young Warriors musicians filled the Tomorrow’s Warriors Big Top with creativity, ambition and joy – joy that resonated far beyond the festival stages when Nu Civilisation Orchestra joined Ladysmith Black Mambazo for the BBC Prom, Under African Skies, bringing the artistry, excellence and collaborative spirit that defines our community to audiences across the UK.
All these experiences are the result of long-term investment in our young people, sustained belief in their potential, and the support of funders, partners and donors who make up a community that wants to effect change and refuses to accept that the ability to succeed should continue to be shaped by who you know, what school you go to, or what you can afford.
After 35 years, we remain steadfast in our belief that, when opportunity is shared more equitably, music becomes richer, more innovative and more representative of the society around it.
And this is what we saw over our long, hot summer. The momentum across the Tomorrow’s Warriors community was impossible to miss; standing together to create a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when talented young people are properly supported. Every performance and collaboration reflected years of learning, development and encouragement, of confidence and skills gained, of connection and a sense of belonging and, for our audiences, the opportunity to discover a wider range of voices, stories and perspectives.
“Tomorrow’s Warriors takes youth development seriously and sincerely. They take responsibility for the development of whole creative humans through securely immersing talented vulnerable youths into safe spaces of unbridled possibility so that they can grow through daring to express themselves in the company of others just like them.
The trust they uphold in their own process as an organisation invites us to be better parents of children more talented than we ever were! It removes barriers from the path of our children’s development of the kind that non-courageous educational settings impose and leave unchecked.
They give rich and potent meaning to the notion that it takes a village to raise a child. Tomorrow’s Warriors is that village and the music is the ethic, which is synonymous with love. If this is not the hallmark of a ‘higher’ education, I don’t know what is.” Philip Beckles-Raymond – TW Parent
Our role is not simply to create extraordinary opportunities for our talented young people, but also to walk alongside them on their journeys, and help them realise their creative ambitions so that they may become the artists and music leaders of the future, sharing their knowledge and supporting the generations to come.
And so our work continues long after this summer ends.
Huge thanks again to all of our donors and funders for making our Big Summer of Music utterly extraordinary!
If you would like to be part of, and support, the next leg of this journey, do please head over to our Support Us page to see some of the many ways you can support our work. If you’d prefer to speak to someone about a potential gift, please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!