Beat the System provides access to high quality music activities for care experienced young people up to age 25. Working with professional musicians, singers, lyric writers, and producers, young people develop self expression, technical skills, and confidence.

Participants create, record, and perform their music, and benefit from mentoring to explore creative careers.

Beat the System is funded by Youth Music and LCVS.

For more information, contact abi@collective-encounters.org.uk or call 0151 3456266

In April 2026, we completed the first year of the project. In total, we worked with 65 young people and delivered 21 collaborative music-making workshops. Participants worked with professional musicians to co-create 9 original songs and 2 music videos.

Workshops explored lyric writing, rhythm, melody, song structure; using music to get across what we want to say and how we want the listener to feel. Sessions were supported by musicians Bradley Thompson, Rachael Diop & Malik Lidgett.

Themes included love, friendship, dystopia, and the experience of being in care.

In year 2 we plan to:

• Run music-making projects with care leavers in Wirral and Sefton
• Run a weekly music group for unaccompanied young migrants in Liverpool
• Offer recording sessions for participants to record the music they have created
• Provide a music-focused version of our training in trauma-informed practice, intended for community musicians to develop their practice