The National
Gospel Music Centre
Led by internationally renowned Gospel Choir Director Anu Omideyi, who has joined us to launch the project and building on our international reputation for Gospel Music, Liverpool Lighthouse is working with national parners to develop a National Centre for Gospel Music.
The aims of the NGMC are the promotion of Gospel Music to new audiences, development of new and existing Gospel Music artists and promoting understanding and awareness of the historic roots of Gospel Music.
Current activities of the NGMC are the development of the Liverpool Gospel Music Festival - the UK's first mainstream gospel music festival, the Gospel Music in Schools project, support for established and emerging gospel music artists through the Lighthouse Artist's Initiative and partnering with the Gospel Music Industry Alliance on the development of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame - an archive collecting, curating and sharing the history and impact of gospel music in the UK.
Gospel Music in Schools
This music-led project is being delivered in schools throughout Liverpool in partnership with Resonate Music Hub and has been educating young people in KS2 through to KS5 (10-18) about the immense contribution made by black artists in UK and international music culture. The programme aims to develop musicality, widen perspectives and provide the opportunity for young people to perform uplifting and inspirational music.
In 2024, a partnership with RSL Rockschool was created to roll out the programme nationally within the KS2-KS5 music curriculum, to allow all children and young people to learn more about black heritage music. More information can be found on the nationally available resources here: https://www.rslawards.com/gospel-music-into-schools/
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Following on from the successful pilot programme for Gospel Music in Schools in 2023, the Liverpool Youth Gospel Choir was established for young people who wanted to continue to keep learning and performing gospel music. These incredible young people performed at the Liverpool Gospel Music Festival after just a few weeks of intensive workshops in the summer holidays. They have gone on from strength to strength, performing for an audience of 1200 school children at Resonate's iSing event at the ACC in Liverpool and recording for Songs of Praise.
Artist Development
Liverpool Lighthouse is committed through the National Gospel Music Centre to supporting the development of gospel music artists. This is being achieved through offering resources and mentoring via the Artists' Initiative and developing platforms and audiences development pathways for gospel music artists, such as the Liverpool Gospel Music Festival, local performance opportunties and a national touring circuit.
Anu directs the Lighthouse Choir, which is the Liverpool Lighthouse outreach choir and Love and Joy Gospel Choir, a choir with a 20+ year history in Liverpool, which was recently relaunched under Anu's leadership.
