ABOUT Us
Young people who have been through treatment for cancer and/or live with chronic illness often suffer from loneliness, loss of confidence, lack of motivation & mental health conditions as well as the physical consequences of their conditions & treatment itself.
“The National Cancer Experience Survey shows one in four 16-24s needed, but were not able to get, emotional support at home from community services.” [Young Lives Vs Cancer]
Co Labs has grown organically from Vocal Beats, a participatory music programme for young inpatients at Royal Marsden & Royal Brompton Hospitals. Participants told us that they wanted to develop their creativity to become artists in their own right.
In 2022-2023 we developed ‘Vocal Beats Academy’, in partnership with the Roundhouse, which involved an evening of music & spoken word leading to an EP, created by VB participants. However, through anonymous feedback our young people told us they wanted more opportunities for collaboration, more chances to play music together, & more support when taking next steps in their careers.
Now, we are devising Co Labs as a standalone project with its own identity. Retaining successful elements of VBAcademy & developing further to include weekly jam sessions & structured, individual creative & career support. Crucially, we are involving young people as decision makers at every stage - consulting with our collaborators on design & delivery, so that Co Labs can grow in quality throughout the project.
Our Team
Our Team.
Our musicians cover a broad range of musical expertise, from touring session musicians, Grammy and Mercury Prize nominated songwriters, producers and instrumentalists.
The team has worked with artists such as ABBA, Jamie Cullum, Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Gary Barlow, Nao, Jay Sean, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Burnaboy & Seal. They teach at establishments such as Trinity Laban, The Mary Ward Centre, Battersea Arts Centre and are facilitators for Vocal Beats at Royal Brompton and The Royal Marsden Hospitals.
They have a large repertoire of their own original music releases and have been featured artists for touring musicians as well as performing in the pit for West End musicals, including Hamilton, Dreamgirls and Wicked.
