DD8 Music

Watch our short video to find out more about DD8 Music.

Case Study: DD8 Music (subtitled version) from ScottishRuralNetwork on Vimeo.

What are the aims of your project?

DD8 Music was set up by a group of local musicians in the Kirriemuir area who were keen to find a safe, secure and nurturing place to develop their musical skills. The group has grown over the years and now runs a community recording and rehearsal studio which offers free sessions to the youth of the town. We also run a variety of successful music festivals throughout the year, and support other community groups at their events.

How did your project achieve these aims?

The group has grown over the years and now runs a community recording and rehearsal studio which offers free sessions to the youth of the town. We also run a variety of successful music festivals throughout the year, and support other community groups at their events. 

How was the project funded?

Our initial funding to set the studio up came from the Rural Tayside LEADER with matched funding from the Angus Council Community Grant Scheme. The project is now pretty much self-sustaining, and daily running costs are covered by hiring out our studio and from ticket sales and fundraising at out music festivals.

Where did you go for help and advice?

Angus Council Community Learning and Development (CLD) service was instrumental in helping get the group get set up initially. As far as the studio project goes, the Council’s external funding team was of great assistance, as was the LEADER team. We have also had fantastic support from our local councilors and from the life experiences of our volunteers.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?

We have had many proud moments in the history of the group, from the successful opening and running of our studio, to our music festivals drawing people from all over the world into the town. In 2012 we were awarded the Cultural Ambassador Award at the Angus Ambassadors ceremony.

In 2015 we won two awards at the EPIC Awards for the Voluntary Arts, including one for most exceptional youth project in the UK and Ireland. Also in 2015 our festival Bonfest was a runner up in the “Best Cultural Event” category at the Thistle Awards.

But our greatest achievement is seeing the young people who have come through the group blossom into confident and happy adults, who also happen to be incredible musicians!

And the biggest challenge?

Our biggest challenge has been keeping the studio running seven days a week with just a team of volunteers. This has been a struggle at times, but we have a fantastic committee who are selfless in giving up their free time to help keep the project running.

Any tips for those setting up a similar project?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We found the advice we got from CLD and the Council’s external funding department to be invaluable. There are also probably other groups around that might have been through the process before, and most will happily share their experiences.

What’s next for your project?

Bonfest has been going through a rapid expansion over the past few years, charged by the statue of Bon Scott we successfully funded and unveiled in the town in 2016. We’re planning our biggest event yet for this year, with over 6,000 attending over the three days of the festival. We’ve also got lots of exciting youth work planned for the coming year, including youth exchanges between projects in Greece and Estonia. We’ve also just started to develop the film and photography side of things, and have recently finished our first short film. This was written, shot, acted in and sound tracked by our youth group. They’ve got great ideas about using the skills they’ve learnt in this process to start filming “live lounge” sessions in our studio with local and touring bands.