In October 2025, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming a group of young people aged 14-18 to our Woolwich Works home for a half-term project led by the incredible She’s Got Brass.
She’s Got Brass is London’s only 10-piece, all-female brass powerhouse, bringing bold, high-energy performances that fuse originals and inventive covers across pop, dance, jazz, and R&B genres. 2025 saw them storm stages from the O2 and Royal Albert Hall to Glastonbury and Boomtown festivals, winning over packed crowds with their vibrant sound. Beyond the stage, they champion music education and gender equality in the arts.
This 2-day project was a chance for young people to learn one of She’s Got Brass’ own arrangements together as a brand-new ensemble, as well as writing their own original tune.
“I enjoyed playing and creating with other people, and being able to show my skills!”
Noah, Holiday Project Participant
“I loved the teachers, the music and the vibe!”
Isabele, Holiday Project Participant
“Seeing the students gain confidence and come out of their shells over the period of the course was my personal highlight; feeling like they could try new things without being judged, and helping curate an environment that helped them grow. Also having so many girl instrumentalists in the room was fantastic – the ratio of girls to boys on a jazz instrumental course is something I could only have dreamed of when I was their age.“
Hannah Dilkes, She’s Got Brass Project Leader
With the support of She’s Got Brass members Hannah Dilkes, Sophie Burrows, and Jaleesa Gemerts, alongside NYJO Emerging Professional musicians Jared Meade, Red Fielder Van Kleeff, and Roz Fearnehough who acted as Assistant Educators on this project, the young people were able to write their own music, build their confidence working in an ensemble, feel more comfortable playing loud and strong (even if they’re still only learning a piece!), and have a go at soloing/improvising.
“The people were very kind and understanding – the environment felt safe and was fun!”
Sarah, Holiday Project Participant
This project was open to young people of all genders, but we were delighted to see the final participant take-up was 80% girls and young women.
The jazz scene, and Big Band spaces within this like NYJO, have not always felt open and welcoming to female players. We are proud to be working hard to redress this balance, seeking to curate learning environments that feel safe and inclusive for anyone who wants to join, whilst also ensuring that we are equipping young people with the technical skills and knowledge that they need in order to become the best musicians they can be.
“I was very grateful to have a female saxophone teacher when I was at school, who also led several bands I was in, who inspired me and showed me that women are just as good, and can command a room’s attention just as much as a man, when historically it didn’t always feel that way in a lot of projects I attended growing up. This is why I feel it is so important now for female-led educational projects to be occurring – it still feels like even today in the brass/jazz world that women have to fight that bit harder than men in the same positions, and we want it to be a truly equal playing field.”
Sophie Burrows, She’s Got Brass Project Leader
At the start of the project, we asked the young people to rate from 1 to 10 (with 1 being ‘not at all’ and 10 being ‘extremely’) how confident they felt in their own creativity. Their mean response at this point was 5.7. We then asked them to rate this again at the end of the project, and their mean response had increased to 7.8.
It was so special to see such a significant increase in their confidence after only 2 days of working with these young people, and we hope that they continue to take this momentum forward into the next stages of their musical journey.
We believe that, with respect, safety, and fun at the heart of learning spaces, all young people can have the chance to flourish musically; if you’d like to get involved in our offer for young people aged 18 and under, drop us an email anytime at [email protected].