London

Through our work in London, we are always looking to support the progression of talented young musicians, alongside supporting less-experienced young musicians to develop new skills and experiment creatively. Our Learning projects always culminate in the opportunity to perform to a supportive audience, giving young people the chance to develop skills and confidence on stage. Whether you have ambitions to join NYJO’s Emerging Professionals programme or are looking to try out group music-making for the very first time, come and get involved!

Under 18s programme
Holiday Projects
Community Outreach

If you would like to find out more about any of our projects in London, please get in touch at [email protected].

NYJO Under 18s

NYJO Under 18s is our Saturday programme for young people aged 11-18, offering sustained, regular skills development. We believe that this programme goes far beyond technical training. It’s a space where young musicians can experiment, take creative risks, and grow as individuals. Through ensemble work and performance opportunities, they learn not just how to play music, but how to connect with others and express themselves authentically.

Whether you’re drawn to the improvisational freedom of jazz, the chance to collaborate with others, or the joy of performing, our NYJO Under 18s programme is the place to be! If you’re interested in joining any of our groups, please get in touch today at [email protected].

We currently offer the following groups on Saturdays:

Ensemble

… (11:00-13:30) for young musicians aged 14-18 who are approx. Grade 5+ on their instrument (vocalists welcome) to develop their skills in ensemble playing, sight-reading, playing by ear, and improvisation techniques.

Band

… (14:00-16:00) for young musicians aged 14-18 who are approx. Grade 5+ on their instrument and interested in thinking about Big Band music in new ways; learning more about the tradition & exploring new approaches.

First Collective

… (12:00 – 13:30) for young musicians aged 11 – 16 who are approx. Grades 1 – 5 on their instruments (vocalists welcome) to build their core jazz skills and knowledge.

Sound Foundations

… (10:30 – 12:00) for young people aged 11 – 16 who are learning the trumpet or saxophone, designed to widen access to instrumental tuition for those who might not otherwise get the opportunity.

In our young musicians’ words:

My sight-reading and confidence has improved massively, I’ve also made lots of new friends and am learning so many new songs/techniques.

I feel more confident as everyone supports each other and all of the MDs are so lovely!

I love the people at NYJO. Everyone here is so encouraging and lovely and it makes the experience worthwhile.

Watch the Under 18s in action: Have a look at this video of our Under 18s Band performing at East Greenwich Fayre!

Watch the Under 18s in action: Have a look at this video of our Under 18s First Collective performing at Woolwich Works!

Watch the Under 18s in action: Have a look at this video of our Under 18s Ensemble performing at Woolwich Works!

NYJO Under 18s fees (termly):

NYJO Under 18s Ensemble: £150
NYJO Under 18s Band: £125
NYJO Under 18s First Collective: £50
Sound Foundations: Free
NYJO Under 18s Ensemble + Band: £250

Please note that NYJO Under 18s is completely free for any young musician who is in receipt of Free School Meals/any form of benefit/from a low-income background.

In addition to this 25%, 50% and 75% bursaries are available to any young musicians who may otherwise be unable to attend due to financial reasons.

If you’re interested in joining or finding out more about the NYJO Under 18s programme, please get in touch via [email protected]!

Holiday Projects

NYJO Learning’s Holiday Projects offer innovative and progressive opportunities for music education, engagement and support. Projects usually take place across 2-4 days and are open to secondary school-aged young people. Specific age ranges and ability levels for access are set on a project-by-project basis and often vary across the year.

If you are interested in taking part in future holiday projects with us, please get in touch at [email protected] to be added to our Learning Opportunities mailing list.

Discover NYJO Learning’s latest EP, featuring music created by young people with the incredible Levitation Orchestra over the course of 3 days during our May 2024 Holiday Project:

February 2026

In February 2026, one of NYJO’s brilliant Lead Educators, Sam Eastmond, led a 2-day music project where young people aged 12-18 had the chance to explore ensemble playing and improvisation.

October 2025

In October 2025, NYJO Emerging Professional vocalist Daisy Houlder led a 2-day project for young people aged 14-20, where they had the chance to explored King’s legendary songwriting and vocal style.

October 2025

In October 2025, NYJO collaborated with She’s Got Brass on a 2-day music project where young people had the chance to play original arrangements as well as composing their own brand-new music.

Copy of Copy of May Holiday Project (1080 x 720 px) (1)

May 2025

In May 2025, NYJO teamed up with Cameron Naylor for a soundscape exploration where young people got the chance to focus on sounds through from first hearing, to recording.

February 2025

In February 2025 we welcomed a group of 30 young people aged 11 – 16 to our Woolwich Works home to explore different kinds of percussion, focusing on Djembe, Steel Pan and Samba.

Community Outreach

We offer a range of opportunities for the community surrounding our home at Woolwich Works, and in the wider London area. These include our community singing group, work in schools, and partner projects with Cardboard Citizens and SoundSkool. Through our community outreach work, we are always aiming to help remove some of the barriers people in our area face when accessing arts and music.

We are guided by all four Arts Council NPO Investment Principles within our work. Our Community Outreach programme embeds the Inclusivity & Relevance Principle in our commitment to achieving greater fairness, access and opportunity in music education. We want to embrace the diversity of our communities and the culture they produce.

Read about some of our community projects and programmes here, and as above, get in touch with us at [email protected] with any questions or queries.

Read about how Community Outreach fitted into the EFG London Jazz Festival 2024:

‘My London’ Placemaking 2025

A creative music-making project for young people aged 13 – 18, exploring the musical sounds of London as it is now and envisioning a future for the city through song-writing.

First Time Jazz 2025

Read about our January and February First Time Jazz tours, taking a NYJO quintet into 13 schools across London to introduce young people to live jazz music for the first time.