Concert producers Serious and charity Black Lives in Music have announced the launch of the Equaliser Mentorship Programme, which will for the first time be expanding to the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican. The Equaliser Mentorship Programme is an opportunity designed to develop the talents of the next generation of live sound professionals from global majority backgrounds. Both venues will be offering paid work experience and mentoring within their live sound teams. 

The Equaliser Mentorship Programme is a direct response to the barriers to entry for underrepresented talent. 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 experience in production or engineering, and available for the residency dates. Applications for the programme open on the 7 October. 

The Royal Albert Hall and Barbican will host the mentee as part of their live sound teams, offering experience in sound engineering, technical setup, and concert production. The programme provides long-term mentorship, seminars and networking opportunities with figures across the music industry. Mentee’s will gain practical skills in event production at live concerts, including the Late Night Jazz series and the Barbican’s summer concert programming.  

The mentee will also 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 and music making.  They will shadow the production manager, completing live sound work including microphone and backline set up and live sound mixing. They will ultimately create their own live mix of the final performance.  

Ope Igbinyemi, Director of Serious, says: ‘One of the first conversations I had with Roger (Director of operation and Co-Founder of Black Lives in Music) was how can we get more of the Global Majority working in roles behind the scenes.’  

‘Four years on from the conversation with BLiM the foundation for a pathway has been established which I hope will make a real difference. In front of the stage and behind it there is a place for everyone, Equaliser is just the start.’  

Matthew Todd, Director of Programming and Engagement at Royal Albert Hall, said: ‘We're determined to help redress imbalances in the live music industry; fantastic schemes like this one, which increase opportunities for young people from global majority backgrounds, are integral to that.’  

Applications for the programme open on the 7th of October. serious.org.uk/equaliser