The Bristol record label that's uncovering the city's young and under-represented talent
Watch Lucy McDaid's report
A new record label hopes to uncover hidden talent within Bristol's under-represented young people and give them the skills to pursue their dream careers in music.
Born2be Records, based at Docklands Youth Centre in St Paul's, has been set up to develop gifted youngsters who want to make modern music of black origin.
According to its founders, the city's music scene is overpopulated with artists from outside of the city, and too many people are going unnoticed.
They set up this independent label to nurture homegrown talent and give young people the opportunity to practice working in an industry which is notoriously difficult to break into.
"It feels like it's impossible to do by yourself," said 21-year-old artist Keiran Gournet-Moore.
"It's definitely a big thing to have this for people my age and people around my age."
Young people aged between 16 and 25 can go to the studio to practice performing, producing, and everything else attached to running their own record label.
Trevon Layne, 24, is a Junior Executive at Born2be Records. He said: "I wanted to create something that we don't have to go to London for.
"We shouldn't have to go outside of our own city to find these opportunities, we can have them in our own city. It's good for me because I'm learning how to run a label and put my managerial skills to good use."
Trevon, a young professional already working in music, is teaming up with fellow professional Devonta Ngozi to help aspiring musicians and producers in their community.
"We get overlooked and overshadowed. Bristol is known for everything else apart from the artists in Bristol. By focusing on the youth we are giving them the opportunity to develop and go in a way they might not be able to go if they were left alone," he said.
The man in charge of Born2be Records, Darren Alexander, also runs ACE - a well-known organisation at Docklands Youth Centre which empowers disadvantaged young people through creativity.
"We recognise what creativity and expression can do to people on the outside and on the inside," Darren told ITV News West Country.
"When we see young people who are in that phase of their lives where they're growing, learning about the world and having challenges, they need an outlet, a space where they can be themselves and receive guidance.
"Music is a fantastic medium for tapping into who you are on the inside and being able to share that with others in a really positive way."
Shakur Grant, 16, is already a regular at the studio and hopes to pursue a career as a professional music artist.
A member of the city's Youth Parliament, Shakur has taken to several stages already. In 2019 he delivered a speech in Parliament calling for tougher action on tackling knife crime.
The 16-year-old said he also uses music to express his beliefs and encourage people to discuss issues, particularly around how they feel.
"I like to talk about how people feel.
"That's a problem. We don't get to talk about that a lot. As a boy or a man you don't get seen as talking about your feelings a lot.
"Appearing through my music is a bit like therapy for me, and I want it to be therapy for other people. I want people to have a voice."
You can find out more about the record label here.
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