Posted on: April 9th, 2024 by Steph Dickinson No Comments
We’re seeking new Trustees to join our Board!
It’s an exciting time to consider joining Pie’s team as we look to the future and continue to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people. Our challenge is to deliver a range of services for young people that are creative, empowering, and offer support to overcome the deprivation they face.
We’re looking for people who can challenge constructively, who are willing to learn, and who want to drive our vision and mission forward.
We are keen to hear from people with skills and experience in:
HR
Finance Management
Corporate fundraising, and reaching out to environmental, social and governance programmes
National policy (youth and arts & culture sectors)
If these areas don’t apply to you but you are interested in applying – we still want to hear from you! All life experiences, skills, education levels and interests are valued at Pie.
We want our Board to be truly representative of the community that we serve, and we want to reach those who may not usually put themselves forward for a Trustee opportunity. Whatever your age, race or background, if you think you have the skills to help us, we would love to hear from you.
What we need from you:
To attend 8-10 meetings a year, including active subgroups which meet in between full board meetings. The ability to attend occasional meetings when urgent events/issues arise
What we give to you:
A full induction. Regular training and development opportunities. The opportunity to meet and work with other talented, motivated and inspiring people, expanding your networks and connections. The opportunity to be part of improving the lives of young people in East Kent through building high-quality, creative and relevant services. The opportunity to inspire and enrich your own life, both personally and professionally, via your experiences with Pie Factory Music’s work.
How to apply
If you think you could help us meet the challenges of the future as a member of our Board, please download and read our Trustee Application Pack.
Send our CEO Zoë an expression of interest, giving us a short summary of who you are, and why you are interested in supporting Pie by becoming a Trustee.
If you would like to speak to Zoë for an informal chat about becoming a Trustee or the application process please call our office on 01843 596777 or email zoe@piefactorymusic.com
Posted on: July 27th, 2023 by Steph Dickinson No Comments
We need your help to save commissioned youth services in Kent!
We believeKent County Council’s proposed cuts to commissioned youth services as part of the transformation to a new Family Hub model will significantly limit, and potentially eradicate, open-access youth work across the county, leaving the vast proportion of young people without sufficient accessible educational and leisure activities outside of school/college. Help us in speaking up against the cuts, by responding to the consultation by 13 September 2023.
With 85% of a young person’s waking hours spent outside of school and formal education, where the loss of youth services is pronounced, vulnerable young people in particular are falling prey to loneliness, poor mental health and fear of youth violence or at risk of exploitation. In areas investing in youth services, we see a positive commitment to young people’s inclusion in decision-making, community engagement and increased life skills.
After a decade of cuts to local youth services exceeding 70%, and at a time of increased need and demand for youth services, it is not reasonable to further cut such services.
KCC are proposing to co-locate children and youth services under the new Family Hub framework. The proposal states KCC’s intention to deliver ‘in-house youth provision’ as part of the Family Hub model. KCC’s current youth provision, however, is focused on targeted case work, working with high-needs young people, which significantly limits the amount – if any – open-access youth work that KCC can deliver. The vast majority of current open-access youth work is being delivered by Kent’s commissioned providers, with Pie Factory Music delivering the commissions for Thanet and Dover districts. However, due to KCC needing to save money, they have taken the decision to cut existing commissioned youth services from the Family Hub model proposed.
Pie Factory Music, and other commissioned providers, believe that the proposed Family Hub model does not meet KCC’s statutory duty to secure sufficient educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people which are for the improvement of their wellbeing, and sufficient facilities for such activities, which is required by the statutory duty for local authorities as outlined in Section 507b Education and Inspections Act 2006.
The added value that commissioned services such as those delivered by Pie Factory Music bring to the youth offer in Kent stand to be lostwith the end of youth service commissions – such (and not limited to) music and creative arts programmes, sports, skating, cooking and bike maintenance projects, youth volunteering and social action projects, gardening groups and Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Pie’s CEO Zoë Carassik-Lord outlines the damaging impact the proposed model will have:
“We fail to see how the Family Hub proposal as it currently stands will satisfy KCC’s statutory duty to provide sufficient educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people which are for the improvement of their wellbeing, as required in the statutory duty as outlined in Section 507b Education and Inspections Act 2006.
It is clear that commissioned youth services have been cut to save KCC money. We are concerned that cutting the commissioned youth services will be the end of open-access youth work delivered in purpose-built youth centres in Kent.”
We’re asking you to say no to cutting commissioned youth services
Join us in opposing the proposed cuts to commissioned youth services, by responding to the consultation before the deadline of 13th September 2023.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. Respond to the consultation via KCC’s website / email / phone number. Every response counts, and the more noise that is made, the more likely the services will be saved.
3. Attend one of the community consultation events – we will be there! Bring placards and banners! For details, visit www.kent.gov.uk/familyhubservices.
Tuesday 22 August 10am to 2pm, Dame Janet Primary Academy, Newington Road, Newington, Ramsgate CT12 6QY
Thursday 10 August 1-3pm, School field next to Sunflower Children’s Centre, Adelaide Road, Eythorne, Dover, CT15 4AN
Tuesday 15 August 11am-1pm, School field next to Samphire Children’s Centre, St David’s Avenue, Dover CT17 9HJ
4. Share the link to the consultation on your social media and encourage your followers to take part.
Posted on: June 28th, 2023 by Steph Dickinson No Comments
Calling young music enthusiasts aged 13-17 years… join us on a journey to re-imagine and record your favourite cover songs and make a short EP.
The EP will be released on Pie Factory Music’s record label Wantsum Music?.
Under the expert guidance of our experienced creative practitioners, Matt Smyth and Dave Morris, you will delve into the realms of recording, producing, arranging, and playing as a band. Additionally, you’ll gain valuable insights into the EP release process, including brainstorming an EP name and designing the artwork.
Whether you play an instrument, sing, create beats, or have an interest in music technology and recording, we would love to hear from you!
The Take Two recording project starts on Thursday 10th August at Pie Factory Music HQ in Ramsgate (CT11 0QG) and runs for eight weeks.
Posted on: June 9th, 2023 by Steph Dickinson No Comments
In the last year, youth charity Pie Factory Music has welcomed over 50 young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees to its Open Arms sessions. To celebrate the compassion-led project’s first anniversary, the charity is holding an art exhibition of young people’s work during Refugee Week (17 – 25 June 2023).
Moving Stories showcases activist art created by the young refugees and asylum seekers aged 13 to 21 years from the Open Arms project and will be on show at Discovery Planet on Ramsgate High Street. The works amplify their voices and share important messages of compassion, positivity, resilience, and community, as powerful stories of their journey and lived experience.
Every Friday, the free Open Arms social sessions have created a warm, welcoming and inclusive space for young people from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Kurdistan, Ukraine, Syria and other countries who have fled their homes seeking asylum in the UK. Together, they make music and art, play games, dance and cook traditional recipes from their home countries, whilst making friends and connections and learning life skills. They’ve also taken part in new experiences such as Discovery Planet‘s science-inspired workshops.
Pie Factory Music CEO Zoë Carassik-Lord says:
“We started the Open Arms sessions last June in response to the growing need to provide a safe space for ALL young people in East Kent. It’s our duty at Pie to be here for every and any young person in and coming to East Kent. The programme demonstrates how people from different backgrounds can support and befriend each other, bridging cultural differences in a celebration of diversity and unity. We are immensely proud of this programme, which has inspired other organisations to create space for young asylum seekers and refugees too. We’d love for as many people in our community to celebrate these young people by coming to the exhibition, which we can’t wait to welcome people to, with open arms.”
Some of the powerful messages in the Moving Stories exhibition include:
“There’s a past version of you that is so proud of how far you have come.”
In this heartfelt message, a participant reflects on her own challenging journey, as well as the difficult journeys of many others who have made it to the UK. This is a message of resilience and progress.
“When you see me, ask me a question.”
This message emphasises the importance of getting to know someone before making judgements and reflects on how asylum seekers and refugees often face racism, exclusion, and judgement. It urges people not to judge someone based on preconceptions or stereotypes but rather to approach them with curiosity and understanding.
Open Arms: Moving Stories – Compassion & Migration Discovery Planet, 47 High St, Ramsgate CT11 9AG Saturday 17th June 2023, 10am – 4pm Entry is free The exhibition will remain in place until Thursday 22nd June.
Open Arms sessions Every Friday, 5 – 7:30pm Pie Factory Music, Ramsgate Youth Centre High St, St Lawrence, Ramsgate, CT11 0QG
*There will be a brief break from activities from Friday 30th June to Friday 4th August, resuming on Friday 11th August. We look forward to continuing our journey of building connections, promoting compassion, and empowering young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees in Kent.
Open Arms is a programme for Young Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers and Refugees, 13 – 21 years old, in the care of Kent County Council/Medway local authority or another local authority and generously funded by NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group.
Posted on: May 8th, 2023 by Steph Dickinson No Comments
We are delighted to introduce Pie Factory Music’s new CEO Zoë Carassik-Lord.
Zoë brings a wide knowledge base and experience in the Youth Arts sector and has been part of the amazing team at Pie for the last 6 years, as Programme Manager for Music & Creative Arts. It’s an exciting time for Pie as we implement the next phase of our 2022-2025 Strategy Plan, with a particular focus on long-term premises and financial security. As we welcome Zoë, she would like to say a warm hello to our supporters and followers.
“My first few weeks as CEO of Pie Factory Music have been a whirlwind of sessions, good funding news, and putting exciting plans in place for our young people and our team. All confirmation that I officially have the best job in the world leading a charity making a real difference to young people’s lives, and having fun whilst doing it.
I joined our Open Arms session with young refugees and asylum-seekers and we celebrated Eid together. It was so wonderful eating delicious Eritrean food cooked by the young people, and incredibly moving to see the young people listening with kindness to each other’s stories of making Thanet their home, and all that comes with the enormous upheaval of displacement due to war, poverty and civil unrest. It was truly inspiring, and I feel so proud that the Open Arms team have created such a safe, welcoming and special place for these young people.
I also sat down with Steph – our previous Managing Director – and some of our Emerging Artists to reflect on her time leading Pie, and to imagine what my time at the helm will incorporate. It feels like Steph has passed the baton, and it was brilliant to do this being interviewed by some of our longest-standing participants as part of a recording session for our Slice of Pie Podcast.
Our core team will soon be growing with two new positions to be filled – I’m so excited to welcome new people into the Pie team, to take our Music & Creative Arts programme and our organisation’s operations to their next level. We love to hear from people who want to contribute and advocate for our work; without their support and encouragement we wouldn’t be where we are today – looking at a bright future for Pie and the young people and team members who make us the family we are.
Posted on: April 17th, 2023 by Steph Dickinson No Comments
Pie Factory Music is delighted to announce the appointment of Zoë Carassik-Lord as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Zoë’s appointment comes as the organisation implements the next phase of its 2022-2025 Strategy Plan, with a particular focus on long-term premises and financial security.
Zoë says:
“I’m so excited to take on the role of CEO at Pie Factory Music – an organisation and community I am deeply committed to and love working for. I’m honoured to have been chosen to lead Pie into its next phase of development, and I’m ready to get stuck in!”
Pie Factory Music Chair of Trustees Mike Fagg says:
“We are delighted to appoint Zoë into the CEO role. It’s an exciting time as we seek to diversify our income streams and continue to grow our service for the young people of Thanet, Dover and East Kent for at least another 20 years, growing on the past two decades of Pie’s history.
Zoë brings a wide knowledge base and experience in the Youth Arts sector, and having been part of the amazing team at Pie for the last 6 years, as Programme Manager for Music & Creative Arts, is excellently positioned to build on the solid foundations that have been created.
Zoë will be working with Steph throughout April and takes up her new role from 1st May 2023.”
Prior to her role as Programme Manager here at Pie, Zoë worked in London for several music education charities, including Spitalfields Music and Sound Connections, where she worked closely with participants, music educators and practitioners delivering projects with young people facing challenging life circumstances, including care-experienced and d/Deaf and disabled young people.
Over the last six years, Zoë has chaired the Kent Youth Arts Network, been a member of the Advisory Board at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, and developed meaningful partnerships with cultural and youth organisations across Thanet, the South East, and nationally.
