Cloth Cat Studios Ltd

Cloth Cat is a dynamic grassroots organisation which works with and supports those at most disadvantage living in neglected parts of the city of Leeds. Music, people, confidence building and empowerment are at the heart of our activities and we respond to the needs of our users and what they tell us. We help people to gain control over their lives and find avenues into employment by providing the opportunity to learn a variety of skills and to develop musical talent.  We build from the bottom upwards where support is most needed. We currently employ a part-time Project Co-ordinator who undertakes the day to day running of the organisation and is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, mentors and tutors, whilst receiving the guidance of a robust and diverse management committee. We have an office base at Old Chapel Studios in Holbeck in South Leeds from where we co-ordinate our activities and also run some of our projects and courses. However, we generally deliver our projects citywide to where they are needed most. We aim to be creative with our ideas to support people, be visibly active within our communities and interactive with those who access our services, communicating regularly through newsletters, social media and face to face.

At the core of our work is a varied programme of music courses run in partnership with the Workers Educational Association for people aged 19 and above.  We aim to attract the most disadvantaged and the courses are free for anyone who is in receipt of any means tested benefit.  Currently we are running sessions in singing, songwriting, guitar, ukulele, percussion, sound recording, performance, live sound engineering, DJing, sound design and film.

Our courses, taught by tutors and mentors with extensive experience in the music industry, are practical and hands on, most of them having a focus such as an end of term performance so participants can apply their new found skills in real world situations. It also brings individuals together in groups and develops team building skills. Many students hop from one course to another and build up a portfolio of skills.

We run a weekly ‘open mic’ night at a local venue which people who have been on the courses are invited to attend to watch, and perform if they like.  We attract mixed audiences as we want to integrate those who have come through Cloth Cat back in to the wider community and last year, it was voted the best open mic night in Yorkshire by Yorkshire Gig Guide.

We also work with mental health services and in homeless shelters, resource centres and young offenders units. Here we run various music themed workshops and also invite local musicians and bands to come in and entertain, providing some respite from day to day life. We are currently delivering songwriting and singing workshops at The Mount, a mental health unit in the Hyde Park area of Leeds and provided some acts for their recent garden party. With our partner organisations we are able to integrate our activities as part of more extensive rehabilitation programmes.  Barriers are broken down so users feel comfortable in accessing the constructive and creative activities we provide once they have left an institution – for example, with help from support workers a number of people from mental health institutions have been able to book in to the recording studio in the hub where we are based and record their music on to CD. We recently won an award at the Love Arts Festival (presented to people in Yorkshire who have been involved in the arts, mental health and learning disability).  

We also run showcase events around the city and we get involved in community events and festivals providing PA and sound services, running themed events and providing musicians and bands - providing outlets for many of the people we have worked with.  For example we are currently working with Oxjam to provide artists as well as PA and engineers for multiple venues.

Some of the other projects we have been involved in include:

• a ‘speed dating’ style event matching different musicians together to form bands;
• 2 music history exhibitions at Leeds Town Hall and Kirkgate Market. 
• workshops at HMP Leeds in Armley in partnership with Billy Bragg’s Jail Guitar Doors charity providing opportunities for prisoners to develop personally in a way which means they are less likely to re-offend.
• the development of a music careers DVD to be used in schools and with other careers advisors to support young people and demonstrate other employment opportunities which they may not have previously thought about.
• Partnership work with Leeds Beckett University and Opera North through who we are able to offer unique opportunities to our service users including visits to the opera at The Grand Theatre and taking part in one off projects using state of the art facilities at the University.