Live Lab is a space where young people aged 11 to 18 years old create and perform music together. Participants try out different musical roles, develop ideas as a team, and build performance skills in a friendly and supportive space. It works for instrumentalists (guitarists, drummers, etc.), vocalists (singers/rappers), songwriters, DJs, and beat makers. Live Lab gives young people a place to make and perform music with others and gain confidence as part of a band or collective.
Why young people choose Live Lab
Young people choose Live Lab for the opportunity to create and perform music alongside others, guided by experienced music practitioners. By exploring different musical roles and developing ideas together, participants build performance skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging within a supportive group.
How Live Lab works
Live Labs run as lunchtime clubs, after-school clubs, holiday projects, and ongoing courses led by Surrey Arts tutors. Regardless of their musical experience, participants learn how musical arrangements work and build performance and songwriting skills. Sessions cover all the skills needed to perform well as a group, working towards showcase performances or recordings. They combine whole group learning with opportunities to form bands or collectives based on shared musical interests.
Specialist Music Labs
These Labs are specialist group learning environments that help participants develop technical and performance skills within their chosen specialism. All these specialist Labs welcome students with any level of experience and focus on a wide range of contemporary genres. Joining a specialist Lab can be a good first step towards joining a Live Lab group.
Guitar Lab
Guitar Lab combines electric, acoustic, bass, and ukulele, giving young people receiving individual lessons a place to play together and develop their performance skills. Participants learn how guitar parts support songs and how their ideas can fit into group music-making.
Drum Lab
Drum Lab is an expert-led group drumming programme using acoustic and digital kits to help players of all levels explore rhythm, creativity, and performance skills. Learners experiment with a variety of drumming styles to build technical control, musical understanding, and adaptability.
DJ Lab
DJ Lab offers expert-led group DJ tuition for all levels, supporting creative mixing, technical skills, and performance across all musical genres. Participants develop set-building skills and gain practical performance experience in a supportive group setting.
Songwriting Lab
Songwriting Lab is an expert-led, collaborative songwriting programme inspired by industry songwriting camps for young people who sing or rap. Sessions focus on shared creative development of lyrics, phrasing, song structure, and recording skills.
How to book
Contact Surrey Arts to check dates and availability.