Young people aged 11–16 in the Basildon area can book places on a five-week summer programme of music workshops at The Downtowner Youth Centre in Wickford, with free places available for eligible families through the Greater Essex Music Hub scheme. The sessions run from 28 July to 20 August 2026, covering songwriting, music production, DJ skills, live band performance and musical theatre.
Each workshop runs from 10am to 2pm and no previous experience is needed. The programme opens with a three-day songwriting course from 28 to 30 July, followed by music production on 4 and 5 August, a one-day DJ skills session on 6 August, live band performance from 11 to 13 August, and musical theatre from 18 to 20 August. Paid places cost £25 per day with lunch provided, while children eligible for income-related free school meals can attend for nothing through the Essex ActivAte programme. Looked-after children also access the workshops at no cost.
Essex ActivAte is part of the national Holiday Activities and Food programme, funded by the Department for Education and delivered by Active Essex alongside Essex County Council. Voucher codes for free places were emailed to eligible families on 22 June, and anyone who believes they qualify but has not received a code should contact their child’s school directly. Children receiving a tuition discount can also join at a reduced rate of £12.50 per day. The programme has supported more than 30,000 children across the county over the past four years, and this summer’s offering extends to music hubs in Chelmsford, Braintree, Brentwood, Colchester, Tendring and Uttlesford.
The Downtowner Youth Centre on Irvon Hill Road hosts all the Basildon workshops, with Joe Cummings from the London Music Theatre Orchestra leading the musical theatre course. Places are limited and organisers encourage early booking through the SpeedAdmin system, or the HolidayActivities portal for families with voucher codes. The workshops coincide with a ‘Read to the Beat’ session at Basildon Library on 3 August, linking music to the summer reading challenge through a partnership between Essex Music Service and Essex Libraries.
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