Lewisham Music joined forces with Show Ponies and Rezon8 to create ‘Sound to Glastonbury’.
For the second year in a row, Lewisham Music joined forces with Show Ponies and Rezon8 to create ‘Sound to Glastonbury’ taking a group of talented young creatives to one of the world’s most iconic contemporary music and arts celebration, Glastonbury Festival. This unique collaboration offered five young people the chance to gain hands-on experience both on stage and behind the scenes, shining a spotlight on underrepresented voices in the music industry.
Through Lewisham Music’s Creative Futures programme- led by the Tilda Landehag and designed for 18–30-year-olds aiming to forge careers in music – two emerging sound trainees, Anwar and Francesca, were selected to work alongside engineers in some of the festival’s most dynamic areas: Bloc 9, Car Henge, and Glastonbury-on-Sea.
They were joined by Rezon8’s up-and-coming musicians Zoe, Toni-Ann, and Taiwo, who took to the stage at 10 Aces, a venue nestled within Glastonbury-on-Sea. Their performances brought fresh energy and new voices to the festival, amplifying a message that Glasto is for everyone.
The group was guided throughout the experience by Afiya (Lewisham Music’s Community Programme Producer), Kieron (Rezon8 Founder), Indi (Rezon8), and Galyam (one of last years’ sound trainees and now full-time engineer) providing a strong support network for their journey.
“Real-life opportunities like this are invaluable!”
Tackling lack of diversity
With over 55 years of history, Glastonbury has long been a staple of the UK’s cultural calendar- but it has also faced criticism for a lack of diversity both on stage and behind the scenes. This project directly tackles that issue, creating space for Black and Global Majority creatives to not just be present, but to thrive.
Initiatives like this are about more than just access, they’re about transformation. They open doors for those who might never have felt Glastonbury was their space, and they help build platforms like ‘Black at Glasto’, a newer movement creating safe and affirming environments at the festival
Hands-on experience
The journey for our young creatives began well before they set foot on Worthy Farm. Francesca and Anwar took part in an immersive induction with Bart, founder of DI Audio and a long time Glastonbury technician, at The Cause in East London. Under Bart’s mentorship, they gained hands-on experience in rigging, cabling, sound distribution, and safety protocols-laying a strong foundation ahead of the festival.
Arriving on site on Sunday 22 June, five days before the punters poured in, they were met with the magic of Glastonbury’s early setup. From wandering through Shangri-La, Unfairground, and Terminal 1, to catching a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Pyramid Stage mid-construction, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
“This has been such an inspiring environment.”
Fully immersed in the action
As the days unfolded, Anwar and Francesca were thrown into the action- setting up stages across three iconic areas- Car Henge, Bloc 9 and Glastonbury-on-Sea- prepping for Rezon8’s arrival. Once the festival officially kicked off on Friday 27 June, the real excitement began.
Over the course of the weekend, Rezon8 delivered three high-energy performances on the 10 Aces stage, with Anwar and Francesca providing sound support throughout. Between gigs, our trainees rotated between the three stages, tech-ing DJ sets, live bands, and evolving technical setups in real-time.
But it wasn’t all smoke machines and cables! Once their shifts wrapped up, the group had time to soak up some of the festival’s most unforgettable moments. From a personal set from Loyle Carner (the group agreed this the number one set across the weekend) a music video style performance from Doechii, Anwar scoring a last minute slot DJing at the Lore Stage in Shangri-La, Ezra Collective, Sasha Keable, and Joy Crookes, they were often spotted glued to the West Holts or Other Stage, soaking up inspiration from artists as well as forming close bonds amongst each other.
Exploring the real-world demands of live event production
Glastonbury 2025 wasn’t just a festival, it was a launchpad. For Francesca and Anwar, the experience offered a rare chance to explore the real-world demands of live event production, deepen their technical skills, and connect with professionals who could help open future doors. It clarified the career paths they’re excited to pursue, and left them with memories (and friendships) that will last a lifetime.
For the entire team, it was more than an 8-day camping adventure—it was a celebration of culture, community, and the possibility that comes from being seen, supported, and given a stage.
Creative Futures
Creative Futures is an industry-led music training and mentoring programme supporting underrepresented young people (aged 18-30) in Lewisham into careers in music. We work with those often excluded from creative industries, including Global Majority communities, low-income households, disabled and neurodivergent creatives, and women and gender-diverse creatives.
Through a programme of free, hands-on learning, mentoring, professional training and creative industry work experience we support young people in Lewisham build the skills, networks and confidence to start sustainable creative careers. Our partnerships include Glastonbury Festival, Ronnie Scott’s, PRS for Music, SXSW London, Universal Music and BBC.
Check out some highlights from Creative Futures so far, as well as some spotlights on the young creatives who have taken part. Make sure you sign up to our mailing list to be first to hear about any upcoming projects.
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