The average festive fair might involve a carolling choir, a lights switch-on and a mince pie or two. But the Whitecross Street Christmas party was a cut above the rest.
Revellers were treated to performances from London’s top youth talent who sang and rapped to cheering crowds on 26 November.
Valerie Bossman-Quarshie, Islington councillor, was in the crowds. She said: “It was electrifying. It felt like reversing back decades to when I was young.”
“Grannies were tapping their feet and clicking their fingers w
ith their mulled wine. Young people were dancing.”
The pupils were from SoundSkool, a music education college for 40 disadvantaged 16 to 19-year olds, which counts leading drill producers M1onthebeat and MKThePlug as alumnae, as well as Luena Martinez who won X-Factor the Band as part of pop group Real Like You.
The not-for-profit moved to the SoapBox youth centre, near Old Street tube, in September, after a tough few years coping with the Covid pandemic and funding issues.
James Dellow, who co-runs SoapBox, said that the performance was “unlike anything you’d have at a switch-on of Christmas lights anywhere in the country.”
Bossman-Quarshie, whose child attended SoapBox, called it a “jewel in the crown”.
“It felt good to celebrate Islingtonian talent”, she added. “These are future artists and they came from this little place called Bunhill.”
Simon Gordon, founder and CEO of SoundSkool, said that he aimed to “change young people’s lives through music.”
“We are a community organisation. We do lots of stuff, like music workshops, with housing estates and local schools,” he added.
Speaking about the move to SoapBox he said: “The facilities are amazing. They’ve got a live room and music studios for the students.”
“We absolutely love being in Islington. We get so many opportunities through SoapBox and local businesses. The community spirit and councillors have been unbelievable.”
