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Equaliser Mentorship Programme

Expanding Opportunities for Global Majority Talent in Production and Sound Engineering

Presented by Serious and Black Lives in Music

Applications are now open for our brand new Equaliser Mentorship Programme presented by Serious and Black Lives in Music (BLiM) in partnership with the Barbican Centre and Royal Albert Hall. The programme is a pioneering opportunity designed to develop the talents of the next generation of live sound professionals from global majority backgrounds.

This unique mentorship scheme builds on four years of partnership between Serious and BLiM, and for the first time this year, it will be expanding to iconic and prestigious venues the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican. Both venues will be offering hands-on paid work experience and mentoring within their live sound teams.

Successful applicants will partake in a year-round programme where you will have the opportunity to:

  • work with industry professionals at the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican as part of their live sound teams, offering invaluable experience in sound engineering, technical setup, and live concert production, including the renowned Late Night Jazz series and the Barbican’s summer concert programming.
  • Join eight jazz and improvising musicians as part of the Take Five cohort at an artistic residential in the Cotswolds for five days of workshops, music-making and shadowing. You will complete live sound work including microphone and backline setup and live sound mixing, ultimately creating your own live mix of the final performance.

To be considered for the scheme, participants must be primarily based in the United Kingdom (but do not need to be a UK national), from a global majority background, have at least a year of experience in production or engineering, and available for the residency dates.

Beyond hands-on experience, the programme provides long-term mentorship, seminars, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with influential figures across the music industry. The mentee will have the chance to work at landmark events like the EFG London Jazz Festival.

Photo credit: Monique Oshunride - Take Five / Black Lives in Music Production Mentee 2023