Production Futures has announced the launch of its Make Noise campaign, a national initiative aimed at young people aged 12–18, designed to raise awareness of the wide range of ‘behind the scenes’ roles in the production and live events industry.
Make Noise is about inspiring young people to explore careers in the sector and become the next generation of production industry talent.
The launch comes at a time when the UK government and creative industry bodies are actively working to demystify careers in the arts and technical sectors, with research showing that while many young people are interested in creative jobs, they often don’t know what skills or routes exist.
At the same time, national education reforms are putting greater emphasis on STEM and technical learning, recognising that audience-driven technical roles are as vital as the artists on stage.
Funded by a grant from LIVE Trust, a new funding initiative supported by a £1 ticket levy on UK arena and stadium shows, the campaign is supported by Audiotonix, a global market leader in the manufacture of professional audio mixing consoles, ancillary products, and software tools.
The Trust’s initial funding round is focused on strengthening the grassroots-music ecosystem, including venues, touring, festivals and workforce development, and Make Noise sits squarely inside that workforce-building remit.
At the heart of the Make Noise campaign is a nationwide competition to win one of twenty Audiotonix STEAM DJ Mixer kits for schools, colleges, youth theatres, charities, home-education groups and community organisations across the UK.
The STEAM DJ Mixer is a build-it-yourself, two-channel mixer kit developed as an educational initiative to inspire future audio engineers.
The kit introduces the principles of audio engineering by allowing participants to build and interact with real equipment, giving them practical insight into how sound is created, controlled and delivered in a live environment, effectively bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world technical work.
Each competition-winning group will receive their STEAM DJ Mixer kit to make and keep, enabling them to develop skills and interest through hands-on learning, as well as long-term access to professional audio technology with which they have a tangible connection.
The initiative is aligned with the wider push for STEAM and technical-skills education, and mirrors the government’s and industry efforts to “plug the pipeline” of young people into STEM-adjacent creative-tech roles.
Hannah Eakins, CEO of Production Futures, commented: “Make Noise is about opening doors for the future workforce of the production industries. There are thousands of rewarding careers behind the scenes in live events, but many young people simply don’t know that they exist.
“With the support of LIVE Trust and Audiotonix, we’re putting real kit into the hands of young people and groups, giving them a practical, creative way to explore careers in audio and production.”
Helen Culleton, COO Audiotonix added: “The STEAM DJ Mixer project as part of the Make Noise initiative is a great example of making creative technology accessible to all, giving participants a hands-on introduction to the tools, skills, and behind-the-scenes thinking that power live events and audio engineering”
Jon Collins, CEO at LIVE Trust, said: “We’re delighted to be funding Production Futures ‘Make Noise’ project through LIVE Trust. There are so many roles in the live music sector that often go unnoticed. Giving young people visibility of those roles, along with the opportunity to build their skills, networks and develop their early careers, is key to building a sustainable future for our industry.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, concluded: “Greater Manchester is home to a world-class live events and creative sector, and it’s really important that we support pathways into good jobs in these parts of our economy. Programmes like Make Noise are a great way to introduce young people to technical skills in live production and open doors to opportunities across the industry.”
