Suffolk New College is helping young people get the skills they need to become successful music event managers.
The college, which offers a host of music related courses, has teamed up with an organisation called Brighten The Corners to sponsor a programme called Tune Up.
The £5000 investment will fund a nine-week course that offers 16-to-25-year-olds the chance to work together to run a large event that will then be put on, in and around the town.
All sessions take place weekly at the Suffolk New College Rope Walk campus based in Ipswich.
Those who sign up to the free programme get to plan, market and then run a big show, getting advice and guidance along the way from industry experts.
The next course starts on Thursday, 5 February 2026, commencing from 5.30 pm and finishing at 8 pm.
Caitlin Whittaker is the Director of Marketing at Brighten The Corners and a Tune Up Coordinator. She said: “We’re really pleased to be partnered with Suffolk New College for our upcoming Tune Up course, sharing a passion and drive to support and guide young people in their next steps within the creative industry.”
Chris Gilbert is the Director of Creative Arts. Chris said, “Brighten The Corners recently became one of our industry partners, meaning we now have almost 200 companies that have signed up to work with us to support our learners. We value what they do in and around the community, we work very closely with them – and this collaboration is an extension of our partnership.
“Many young people have gone through the project. One learner who was on the previous course now works full time at The New Wolsey Theatre. The whole point of this is for people to get industry contacts, gain new skills, and hopefully that will lead to employment. And also, with Ipswich bidding to become a city of culture, some of the young people who study Tune Up might end up working on that exciting project.”