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Youngsters help organise town-wide music festival

Jon Wrightin Ipswich
Jon Wright/BBC Atharv Naphde and Elena Harris stand inside a shopping centre, smiling at the cameraJon Wright/BBC
Atharv Naphde and Elena Harris both feel positive about Ipswich's growing cultural scene

A free one-day music festival is giving young people experience of working in the creative industries.

The Brighten the Corners (BTC) All Dayer is happening across seven venues in Ipswich town centre, with more than 60 acts and DJ sets on Saturday.

One of those venues, in an empty shop, is being managed by young people on the Tune Up course, a free 10-week programme run by BTC.

Elena Harris, 24, said: "There's a lot of skills that I've learned on this course that I didn't really learn when I was at university or college, so doing volunteer work has definitely helped me to like get my foot in the door."

Jon Wright/BBC A music stage with a singer, two guitarists and a drummer. The heads of people watching in the foreground can be seenJon Wright/BBC
Ipswich band AfterDrive performing on the Cornhill at the 2025 BTC festival, shortly before being chosen to support Ed Sheeran at Portman Road

BTC had previously announced its annual two-day festival would not run this year as it is involved in an ambitious redevelopment of one of its venues.

The Baths secured nearly £2m from Ipswich Borough Council to become a creative digital lab.

BTC is also one of several arts organisations in Ipswich programming new and in-development performances for the inaugural In the Works festival in May.

Last month the government confirmed Ipswich was one of nine places which made the longlist to be the UK's 2029 City of Culture.

Jon Wright/BBC Four people sat in the radio studioJon Wright/BBC
Members of the Tune Up team spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk about their experiences breaking into the creative industries

Tune Up is one of the education and outreach projects run by BTC, aimed at giving 16-25 year olds practical skills and experience in delivering live music events.

The All Dayer is the culmination for the current cohort of 20, including 20-year-old Atharv Naphde who was born in Ipswich but spent the majority of his youth in India.

"I've been in Ipswich for about four years now and I don't think I've discovered everything yet," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I feel excited, Ipswich certainly has a culture and I want to be a part of it."

The next Tune Up programme will run in May and is open for applications.

Where can I see free music for the All Dayer?

  • The Arcade Tavern
  • The Church
  • Superdry, the Buttermarket shopping centre
  • The Halberd
  • CHIp Studios
  • The Thomas Wolsey
  • Three Wise Monkeys

The first performance is at 13:00 BST, with the last ending at 23:00.

Full line-up and times can be found here.

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