Mercury Prize-nominated band Knats are teaming up with The Glasshouse International Centre for Music to launch The Geordie Music Foundation, a series of free monthly sessions for young musicians aged 13-17 from the North East.
Starting on Sunday 24 January 2027, Stan, King and Ferg from the band will work with a group of up to 15 young musicians, helping them build their playing skills, improvise with others and meet like-minded musicians from across the region.
Knats’ album A Great Day In Newcastle has been nominated for the 2026 Mercury Prize. The band describes its sound as Geordie Jazz, mixing jazz with rock, spoken word and big, groove-led arrangements. The members have all taken different routes into music, with two of them teaching themselves to play. Stan and King were both playing on their own when they met growing up in Newcastle, and they felt there was nowhere for them to go to meet other like-minded young people. The idea for the Geordie Music Foundation grew out of their wish to help other young people find their way into music and show what’s possible here in the North East.
When we were starting out in Newcastle, we worked a lot of it out for ourselves, and there weren’t many places to go to meet other young musicians who just wanted to play. We want these sessions to be that place. It’s about getting in a room, having a go and showing that you can do this right here, back home. It’s great that we get to do it at The Glasshouse, where we’ve played and run sessions ourselves.
Every session will be different, with young musicians exploring improvisation, groove, rhythm, harmony, phrasing and listening. They’ll try out ideas across genres including rock, jazz, funk and folk, finishing each session with a jam where everyone gets to play together.
The sessions are for instrumentalists who already play and feel confident on their instrument. Instruments include bass, drums, keys, sax, trumpet, guitar and piano. Young musicians don't need to read music, just bring their instrument and a willingness to play with others. The sessions offer a chance to learn from musicians who know what it takes to build a career, whether young people are thinking about further study, joining a band, writing your own music or working in the music industry
Sessions will take place monthly on Sundays, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. The first five dates are:
- Sunday 24 January 2027
- Sunday 28 February 2027
- Sunday 21 March 2027
- Sunday 25 April 2027
- Sunday 23 May 2027
Places are free, but limited to 15.
The Geordie Music Foundation builds on Knats' history with The Glasshouse. The band supported Nadine Shah and Royal Northern Sinfonia at one of the Proms concerts earlier this year, headlined their own show in Sage Two at The Glasshouse, and ran two public masterclasses and jam sessions. Ferg has also played in jazz ensembles such as Jambone at The Glasshouse, while Stan and King met growing up in Newcastle and bonded over their love of music.
Knats have built a strong relationship with The Glasshouse over the years, from performing on our stages to leading masterclasses for young musicians. So, we’re really pleased they want to use that experience to help other young people find their feet. There’s no single route into music, and these sessions will give young people in the North East the time and space to play together, try things out and learn from a band who’ve shown that you can build a career in music right here
Applications are open via The Glasshouse website until 17 December. Knats will shortlist applications and The Glasshouse will offer places to the 15 young musicians they choose.
https://theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/geordie-music-foundation-with-knats/
