News Room

Meera Joshi premiers her new "Made in Corby" poem at The Travers Foundation event

24/11/2023

In August 2023, Corby based actor and poet, Meera Joshi, attended an intense course with The National Youth Theatre, directed by The Opia Collective.

Meera relates her experience in a powerful new poem "Made In Corby". This new work saw its debut at The Travers Foundation - Travers Young Stars event "Taking The Stage" held at The Core at Corby Cube on Saturday 18th November.

See her live performance opposite and the full poem script is also included below.

Read Meera's National Youth Theatre diary

Meera Joshi - "Made In Corby"

"Made In Corby" by Meera Joshi

Made in Corby,
Where the sparks of steelworks lay the foundation of our story.
In this town where dreams flicker like embers of the night,
So many dreams, desperate to take flight.

Traver’s has the tools,
For opportunities outside of schools.
Support for Coaching and mentorship,
Think of it as a partnership.
Auditions, Rehearsals, Studio space?
Travers clears hurdles and sets the pace.
For the young and the bold, just thirteen to thirty,
Casting the framework of dreams strong and sturdy.

It’s your time, it's your curtain call,
Opportunity awaits, break down the wall.
With the community’s love and Travers by your side.
You can pursue your passion as your guide.

Don't let doubt scare you away,
You’re the only one standing in the way.
The fear is the shadow that looms,
In the quiet corner where anxiety consumes.
I refuse to be bound, to let my dreams slip by.
To go without and always wonder why?

So I took a chance of my own,
With an audition out my comfort zone.
The National Youth Theatre,
Three weeks of learning, making, and creating,
This is the path of life I’ll be taking.
Nurtured my roots in the industry,
Seeds of support sown,
I am glad I didn’t do this journey alone.
I was Championed, challenged, and coached,
Next up is agents to go and approach.

In the streets of Corby, where the stars align,
Thousands of dreams combine.
The neighbourhood whispers secrets of dreams,
In the vibrant air, potential gleams,
In the dark of the night,
There is a glimmer of light.
The Travers Rising Stars,
Your passion will take you near and far.
Opportunities will shine like stars of the night,
Don't back down, stand, and fight,
For your talent and ambition
As a pioneering musician,
Producer, Performer, Sportsman, and Actor,
Will create a new exciting chapter.

Corby, a stage tonight where the young ignite,
In the spotlight of dreams, we’ll burn so bright.

© Meera Joshi, 2023

Meera Joshi shines with The National Youth Theatre

31/8/2023

During August 2023, I attended an intense course with The National Youth Theatre, directed by The Opia Collective.

Week 1 consisted of developing our relationship and unity as a company. We had participated in many ensemble games and activities that allowed us to build on those connections and to understand the best practices for our company of 29. We created a company contract that outlines how we wanted to create work as a company and what we wanted to get out of it. This week was an invaluable stage of the course as it allowed me to understand better how to work in an ensemble, lead in a large group setting, and express and give space for everyone's unique experiences and stories.

Week 2-3, we were straight to developing upon the skills we were introduced in week 1. Our directors, Masha Kevinovna and Chisara Agor, come from various art backgrounds, including directing, writing and acting and have created work for numerous theatres across London. They introduced me to multiple skills I've put into my toolkit, including Laban, Chekhov and Viewpoints. Being introduced to a wide variety of theories in practice gave me a crash course into various performancestyles, which I've already started to incorporate into my next project.

Our final performance was inspired by the group's feminist and pro-inclusion agenda and our desire to create work around social & cultural themes through a creative lens. Throughout this course, I developed my writing skills; I had two scenes where I was the assistant director and involved in the movement sequences and finally as an actor for four more scenes. The National Youth Theatre CEO and their alumni were present at our performance. I've also been able to access various networking opportunities.

As a performer, this is the type of work I strive to create; I want to make work that reflects on the people within our society to give opportunities to those with less fortune and access. This experience allowed me to become a member of The National Youth theatre and have access to numerous options, including castings and skill-building techniques. I also could network with over 30+ individuals with multiple performance disciplinary expertise, which has already opened more doors for me going forward.

It's utterly apparent that without The Traver's Foundation's generous support, I wouldn't have been able to partake in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am wholly grateful for their support in making this whirlwind of a chance possible.

Thank You again, Meera Joshi.

Lauren Kent-Walton wins World Championship

28/8/2023

Perfroming with the Spartan Drum and Bugle Corps

Lauren Kent-Walton wins World Championship perfroming with the Spartan Drum and Bugle Corps

In Summer 2023, I travelled to America to be a part of the Colourguard section of the New Hampshire-based Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps. I departed England on the 23rd of June and flew to Boston Airport. From there, I drove to a week-long camp that was held at Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island.

I learnt most of our 12-minute-long show there. Every day here involved waking up between 7-8 am, going outside to stretch with our group (138 members) almost immediately, eating breakfast prepared by volunteers on our food truck, and starting our all-day rehearsals from about 9 am. This would involve about a 45-minute to 1-hour warm-up (dance and equipment basics) before we began learning or ‘cleaning’ our show work.

Our rehearsal days were around 10-12 hours long each day, with four meal breaks separating each block. After about a week in Rhode Island, we embarked on our 6-week-long tour, starting with our ‘friends and family’ show in New Hampshire, followed by 2 shows in Massachusetts. We also had shows in South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia and concluded our tour with four championship shows in Indiana between the 8th and 12th of August.

Most days would follow a similar routine to our move-in camp in Rhode Island. We would wake up, stretch together, have breakfast, split into sections for a more thorough warm-up, and then rehearse our show routine. We would then break for lunch and return to our sections to continue what we did before our meal for another few hours before breaking for dinner. After dinner, we would have our final block, which would most frequently be ‘ensemble’, where all sections of the corps would come together to refine sections of the show we had been working on. We would always conclude our rehearsal days with a full run-through of the show before loading our props and equipment and having our final meal of the day.

Our show days would involve almost the same routine, but we would skip out the middle block between lunch and dinner, and push ‘ensemble’ forwards. We would shower and get ready for the show (hair and makeup) before getting on our buses and heading to the show site. Once we got to the show site we would unload our props, get our equipment for warmups, and spend about an hour warming up, before heading back to the bus to change into our uniform and then performing! After our show, we load our props and equipment, change out of our uniform, eat, and then return to our buses.

Spartans have six buses (Colourguard, high brass, low brass, percussion and two staff busses) as well as one prop truck, one equipment truck, one food truck and one chase car, so we always travelled as a convoy! After each show, we would travel overnight to our following ‘housing site’, which would often involve anywhere between a 2- and 12-hour drive! Our housing sites were mostly high schools, with the exception of our final site, which was a college! All 138 of us would sleep on the floor in sports halls each night!

Our tour was split up into some half days, where we would rehearse in the morning and go to a laundromat to do laundry in the afternoon. We would also have Walmart trips where we were able to buy food for our ‘bus boxes’ (small boxes of snacks we kept under our seats on the bus). We also had a ‘free day’ at a theme park in North Carolina!

Our tour was concluded with the ‘Open Class World Championship Finals’ in Marion, Indiana, where we were able to become World Champions of the Open Class! We had been undefeated all season, which was a good way to conclude the season.

We then went to the ‘World Class World Championship Finals’ where we were able to watch bigger groups perform, and also perform ourselves in Prelims and Semi-Finals, as well as an encore performance at Semi-Finals for being Open Class World Champions! This was our last day together as an entire corps, as many of our members flew home from Indianapolis, whilst the rest of us had a 19-hour bus ride back to New Hampshire.

I learned so much and brought it all back to England.

I was very eager to get international experience on different equipment. In Colourguard we spin 6-foot flags and mock rifles and sabres. I had international flag experience but hadn’t had international ‘weapon’ (rifle and sabre) experience. This year I was able to learn sabre, and it was very beneficial to be able to learn techniques I was never taught at home and know that it would be very advantageous to bring home these techniques to my group in England.

I would take notes of the hacks they taught me so that the members I teach at home would be able to have access to and benefit from the information I never had access to when I was learning!

Similarly, I was able to learn a lot from the culture the Colourguard staff created for us. They put a great emphasis on personal accountability and ways we would benefit from being accountable for ourselves, each other and the organisation as a whole. They also created a great vulnerability culture whereby we knew we would be supported with any problems or frustrations we had, as they knew how overwhelming it can be spending 7 weeks with the same people doing the same thing each day! This is something I benefitted from a lot and always expressed interest in, as I knew this would be another thing I could bring home to elevate the member experience.

I was able to challenge myself significantly more this season compared to my previous season here. In my previous season, we had a 2-week-break, whereas we were constantly on tour this year.

Our show content was a lot more physically complex, which meant I had to stay a lot more mentally engaged to build skill and consistency. All of this hard work paid off as we were able to be undefeated all season and become world champions!

Taking The Stage - Featuring Travers Rising Stars

22/8/2023

Come and see our amazing young performers. Join us for an unforgettable night of music and entertainment with Travers Rising Stars on Saturday 18th November at The Core Corby!

Get your tickets now at
https://www.thecorecorby.com/.../travers-taking-the-stage/.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to see the next generation of rising stars perform live.

See you there!

Special Offer - use our discount code “TRS2023” to get One free ticket if you buy 4 or more.

LVT wins best performer at Travers Rising Stars held at Glastonblaby 2023

20/8/2023

LVT wins best performer at Travers Rising Stars at Glastonblaby 2023

The Travers Foundation is proud to announce the winner of the 2023 Travers Rising Stars competition was LVT, who performed at Glastonblaby 2023. This annual charity fundraising event was held on August 19th, 2023, at the Leicester Lions Rugby Club.

LVT wowed the judges with her engaging performance, which included two original songs, "I'm Done" and "Party with My Girls," as well as her adaptation of Adele's "Someone Like You.".

Kieran Forsey, Head of Travers Rising Stars & a Trustee of The Travers Foundation, said, "The audience reaction to LVT was excellent, and she is a superb winner. We look forward to continuing to work with her in 2024."

LVT expressed her excitement about the performance, saying, "In 2024, I want my music to continue to grow and play more London-based Venus and would love to play more festivals. I want next year to be a big one for me. So, I will continue putting in the work, staying consistent, and smashing some goals."

Kieran Forsey, Head of Travers Rising Stars & a Trustee of The Travers Foundation, thanked Glastonblaby for hosting Travers Rising Stars again this year.

Kieran added, "We are a team of volunteers, which means every penny we raise goes directly towards helping local young people from Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland. Since our inception, we have spent almost £300,000 helping young people." The Travers Foundation and Travers Rising Stars are committed to supporting young musical talent and providing opportunities to showcase their skills.

The Travers Foundation is a volunteers run charity that helps 13 to 30-year-olds improve their skills in sports, music, and the arts. Founded in 2012, The Foundation provides vital financial support to help young people pursue their dreams. The Travers Rising Stars competition is one way the foundation supports young talent.

LVT's performance at Glastonblaby 2023 is just one example of The Foundation's dedication to helping young people pursue their dreams.

The William Sharman Podcast for The Travers Foundation featuring Terry Forsey

28/7/2023

Click on the image to view this podcast

William Sharman hosts his inaugural Podcast for The Travers Foundation by chatting with Terry Forsey, Chairman and Founder of The Travers Foundation.

"Life’s not fair for young people trying to make it in sports, performing and creative arts. They are at a tremendous disadvantage. There are no apprenticeships, no student loans, and no workplace training programmes. The only source of funding is family and friends, or nothing. That’s simply unfair, and this is my motivation behind founding The Travers Foundation." View this podcast

Brothers win U18 Schools Cup at Twickenham

27/3/2023

Congratulations to Elliott & Fabian Powell who represented Oakham School in the Continental Tyres U18 Schools Cup at Twickenham on 16th March.

Oakham won 31-24 and Elliott scored a try! It is 20 years since the school won this competition and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Elliott & Fabian to play at the home of England Rugby.

We believe it's a first with two brothers playing on a cup-winning team.

Congratulations from everyone at The Travers Foundation

Join our team of volunteers and make a difference for local young people

10/3/2023

Join our team of volunteers and make a real difference for local young people.

Life’s unfair for young people trying to make their mark in sports, performing and creative arts. They can be at a tremendous disadvantage. There are no apprenticeships, government grants, or workplace training programmes. Often the only source of funding is family or friends, or nothing.

That’s not fair, and this is the motivation behind the Travers Foundation.

We are a team of volunteers, which means every penny we raise goes directly towards helping local young people from Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland.

We have spent £250,000 funding over 250 young people in ten the last years.

How you can help us?

Volunteer – you can help us to support local young people. Interested? Please get in touch.
Fundraise – we receive no funding from the Government or local authorities. We’re self-reliant on our fundraising and are always looking for new ways to reach out and raise money. Like to help? Contact us now.
Trustee –we’re looking for new trustees to help us. If you are passionate about helping young people in Sports, Creative or Performing arts, contact us for an informal chat.

Travers Rising Stars finalist, Mae Stephens, signs recording deal

27/2/2023

Congratulations to Mae Stephens, who's just signed a record label contract after over 10 million people viewed her YouTube release "If We Ever Broke Up’. One week later, it's BBC Radio One’s tune of the week.

Mae was a finalist in Travers Rising Stars 2021.

Wishing you tons of luck in the future.

Paul runs the 2023 St Georges Day Marathon for The Travers Foundation.

21/2/2023

Paul Hindle aims to complete this year's London Marathon in 3.30!

Paul Hindle from Gretton aims to achieve his target of 3.30 in this year’s St Georges Day London Marathon. Donate to Paul's Just Giving Page

Paul is running his third London Marathon. His first attempt was the covid London Marathon in October 21.

“I completed it in 3.32 and loved it,” said Paul, “It was just outside my target time, so I was disappointed”. Paul returned for his second London Marathon last October.

Paul adds, “I was confident I would beat my previous marathon. However, the marathon gods had other ideas. It was horrendous! I limped home with what I felt was an extremely disappointing time of 3.48, which was miles away from my target.”

In Paul’s eyes, this failure was a bittersweet moment which relit the fire and gave him the drive to return in 2023.

Paul explained, “I wanted to run for someone local, and The Travers Foundation is the best choice. I find it awful to think that talented kids today cannot chase their dreams because of finances! The next Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt or Eliud Kipchoge could lurk in the shadows waiting to be helped up the ladder, and why not! The idea of assisting someone in reaching their full potential and touching greatness fills me with much joy.”

So, Paul’s training continues, and he says it’s going very well, “I feel strong and ready to reach my marathon holy grail of 3.30. I’ll continue to train hard, harder than before, and hope that the gods are favourable on the day.”.

Donate to Paul's Just Giving Page

Turning good singers into great performers

17/2/2023

Kay Moorcroft, left, from The Singers Club will help Travers Rising Stars to reach their perfromance potential

As local musicians and singers become more accomplished, they often need specific help and guidance to develop their vocal ability to perform at the highest level.

The Travers Foundation is delighted to announce a coaching partnership with a top local vocal coach Kay Moorcroft from The Singers Club in Leicester. Kay will offer one-to-one vocal coaching to performers on the Travers Rising Stars Programme.

Kay said, "All singers need a dynamic and fun environment to develop their skills and confidence. I help students with their vocal technique, vocal & songwriting skills, and vocal health. Through these lessons, students can access and unlock areas of their voice they never knew existed!"

Terry Forsey, Chairman of The Travers Foundation, said, "Over the last few years, we have helped showcase the incredible local singing talent. Working with Kay, we're helping these Travers Rising Stars to become more accomplished and professional. We're equipping them to take the big step onto a national or international stage."

Kay added, "During our singing lessons, students will learn about breathing, posture, tone, pitching, belting, extending their vocal range and much more! It's truly a pleasure watching students reach their goals while seeing their potential step by step, and I'm looking forward to helping these Travers Rising Stars!"

Introducing The Travers Foundation

31/12/2022

Life’s not fair for young people who are trying to make their mark in sports, performing and creative arts. They can be at a tremendous disadvantage. There are no apprenticeships, no government grants and no workplace training programmes. Often the only source of funding is family or friends, or nothing.

That’s simply not fair and this is the motivation behind the Travers Foundation.

Founded in 2012, The Travers Foundation provides vital financial support to help young people to pursue their dreams in sport, creative or performing arts. We are a team of volunteers, which means every penny we raise goes directly towards helping local young people from Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland.

Since our inception we have spent almost £300,000 funding over 250 young people.

- We’ve helped fund skilled young people to progress from local winners to world champions, winning over 1,500 medals in local, national, and international competitions.
- We’ve helped local musicians to record and release their debut albums.
- And we’ve helped aspiring actors and producers to launch their acting, film making and production careers.

What support is available?

Coaching Support - providing funding for the direct cost of coaching and professional support for groups or individuals including sports, creative arts and the performing arts.
Studio Support - providing funding for recording studio time for aspiring musicians both groups and individuals.
Competition Support - providing funding for competition costs including travel expenses, accommodation expenses and competition entry fees for sporting teams or individuals.
Performance Support – providing funding for pre-production costs for groups planning a production or event. This can include Auditions, Rehearsals and People costs.

Read our "Guide to Grant Funding" if you require more information.

Letter from Riana Ao who realised her dream in America & becomes British Champion!

17/12/2022

"The financial challenge was the biggest hurdle. I can’t talk enough about how grateful I am for your support. The Travers Foundation has lifted a giant pressure off me and gave me the most incredible experience of my life!"

To The Travers Foundation

Thank you so much for the grant to pay for my flight to the USA and made my dream a reality! I successfully applied for competition support for sportspeople and spent the summer (from June 24th to August 16th) touring the East Coast of America with Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps.

We spent everyday rehearsing for up to 10 hours, learning from the best of the best! My coaches were alumni of world class corps and I learnt so much from them. I gained proper technique, learnt new tosses, new tricks, my dance abilities were pushed, my confidence and performance quality was enhanced and just from all the rehearsals my stamina improved! Everything was on a completely different level to the Colourguard I had experienced back home. Performing on this global stage has been the peak of my colourguard career and it was absolutely incredible!

We competed 15 times, with 10 of those competitions being in the final 2 weeks and a half! Spartans won 4th place in the Open Class category which meant we were one of the top 25 corps in the USA. This allowed us to surpass a couple of world corps and compete in the world championships at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana! It was on a field unlike any other I’ve ever performed on and the whole experience was electrifying! Sharing the experience with 100 other people who were just as passionate about performing made it so much more special and I really became part of a family during my summer at Spartans; I miss everyone so much.

Since coming back from my summer of a lifetime, I competed with my local drum corps Liberty Drum Corps! We won championships of the championship league at the British Youth Band Association finals! I’ve also succeeded in recruiting more members and have been able to get us better equipment, teach the kids proper technique and I’ve also incorporated some of the group activities we used to do at Spartans to bring the entirety of Liberty Drum Corps together - not just improving the teamwork of the Colourguard section but the entire youth group! It created more ensemble time and made the entire corps a whole lot closer. The role of section leaders at Spatans was a lot more organised and I brought this to Liberty too! Now the section leaders of Liberty Youth Group meet up once a month to discuss improvements to liberty’s rehearsals making it a youth group that’s really run by the members themselves - our corps director has been really encouraging and supportive of our suggestions and it’s allowing leadership qualities to bloom within members that have previously not been so proactive in the corps. It’s been rewarding to see their growth!

I love this sport so much and experiencing it at its highest level is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I improved so much more than my colorguard skills. Travelling to a country I’d never been to before to live with 100 people I’d never met before for nearly 3 months is something I’ll always be so proud of myself for doing! It improved my confidence and my ability to push past both mental and physical limits. I was only planning on going to perform over in the USA once but I really am considering doing it again this summer (it’s an activity you can only partake in under the age of 21)! The financial aspect of it all (considering I only work part time and am still saving to go to university) was the most difficult hurdle and the Travers Foundation really made it possible for me. I can’t talk enough about how grateful I am for your support - it lifted a giant pressure off me and I had the most incredible experience of my life!

Thank you to The Travers Foundation,

Riana Ao.

We raise over £10,000 for our 10th Anniversary.

15/11/2022

The Travers Foundation has raised over £10,000 for their 10th Anniversary celebrations.

Terry Forsey, the founder of the Charity, said, "I founded this Charity on my 60th birthday."

"I was very aware that life is not fair for young people trying to make their mark in sports, performing and creative arts. They are often at a tremendous disadvantage. There are no apprenticeships, no government grants, and no workplace training programme. Often the only source of funding is family and friends or nothing.

That's not fair, and this was my motivation behind the Travers Foundation."

For this anniversary celebration, Terry asked family, friends, and supporters to forgo a party, don't buy presents and instead contribute to their fundraising efforts.

Terry adds, "I am delighted that we have raised over £10,000 to continue our work, and a massive thank you to everyone who contributed."

Terry closed by reflecting
"As I look back on what The Travers Foundation has achieved since 2012
• We have spent over £250,000 funding more than 600 young people.
• We are now recognised as the only volunteer-led charity funding young people in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland.
• We've helped fund skilled young people to progress from local winners to world champions, winning over 1,500 medals in local, national, and international competitions.
• We've helped local musicians to record and release their debut albums.
• And we've helped aspiring actors and producers to launch their acting, filmmaking, and production careers."

Terry closed with, "I am overwhelmed by this support, and I am confident we can achieve so much more in our next ten years."

William Roberts becomes World Champion with TeamGB

14/11/2022

William Roberts, member of TeamGB World DSISO Swimming Champions

The Down Syndrome International Swimming Organisation (DSISO) World Championships was recently held in Portugal. Twenty three countries and 163 swimmers took part in a most exciting competition over 5 days.

The Travers Foundation are proud to have helped William Roberts, 23, from Warmington, Northamptonshire who won one silver and two bronze medals.
- Silver 4 x 200m freestyle relay
- Bronze in 4 x 50m freestyle relay
- Bronze in 4 x 100m freestyle relay

Also TeamGB were the overall winners and World Champions.

Congratulations William, you truly are a World Swimming Champion.

Congratulations on the outstanding fundraising efforts of the Ten Peaks Attackers!

28/9/2022

Jordon Poole wins Travers Rising Stars 2022

23/8/2022

Singer-songwriter Jordon Poole, won the final of Travers Rising Stars 2022

Singer-songwriter Jordon Poole, 26, won Travers Rising Stars 2022. Glastonblaby festival hosted the final of Travers Rising Stars 2022 in front of an enthusiastic audience at Leicester Lions RFC in Blaby in the blazing sunshine.

Each finalist performed a 15 minute set on the Harborough FM Stage. After much deliberation by the independent judging panel led by Leicester-based Kade Smith, 2018 finalist of BBC The Voice, the result was announced by Nick Hart, the winner of Travers Rising Stars 2021.

Kieran Forsey, Trustee of The Travers Foundation and Chairman of Travers Rising Stars, adds, "The standard of the entries to Travers Rising Stars was remarkable. It was a very close result as all finalists were exceptional; we have a worthy winner in Jordon Poole. It's been a tough job initially reducing over 50 entries this year to the finalists and then to the ultimate winner."

As the winner, Jordon Poole was invited onto the Main Stage to perform his winner set.

Jordon was thrilled with the result, "Travers Rising Stars challenged me. I write songs with my Brother Dan and arrange them with a great electric guitarist, Marcus Houghton. As I was performing solo at Travers Rising Stars, I didn't want to use backing tracks, so I rearranged one of these songs, "Addicted", and performed it live for the first time. I am proud that this helped me win."

Jordon now gets to travel to the Under The Apple Tree Studio. This venue was created by Northampton-born Whispering Bob Harris of Radio 2 & Old Grey Whistle test fame. There Jordon will record a live video of his set accompanied by Dan & Marcus. He will also visit HQ Recording in Leicester to record his first professionally produced single.

Kieran closed with, "I would like to thank Glastonblaby for hosting Travers Rising Stars again this year and also for their invitation to return in 2023. Applications are now open for young musicians, and we look forward to another superb winner next year."

The winner Jordon Poole, left, receives his award from Nick Hart, the winner of Travers Rising Stars 2021.

Notes
The Travers Foundation is a volunteer-led charity that provides financial support to 13-30-year-olds to help them realise their dreams in sport, music and the performing arts see www.travers-foundation.org.uk.

Jordon Poole - Instagram: @jordonpoolemusic, Facebook: @jordonpoolemusic.

Under the Apple Tree brings its audience the best in live music through its online channel, live events, showcases, radio shows and podcasts. To find out more see the website at www.undertheappletree.co.uk.

The annual Glastonblaby music festival, held at Blaby in Leicestershire, raises thousands of pounds for local charities. For latest updates see www.glastonblaby.co.uk.

HQ Recording provides a relaxed, creative studio environment located in the heart of Leicester City Centre. They boast a high-quality recording facility across two rooms, with the latest in cutting edge digital software and hardware and a team of highly skilled producers & sound engineers. Artists always leave satisfied with a product of the highest quality.
www.hqrecording.co.uk

The Travers Foundation announces the finalists to Travers Rising Stars 22

3/8/2022

The Travers Foundation today announced the finalists in their Travers Rising Stars Competition 2022.

Travers Rising Stars is looking for the best new young singers and bands in our region. Fifty entries showcased a wealth of local talent. They have today announced the top four finalists.

The winner will receive over £5,000 prizes, including recording a single at HQ studio, Leicester, playing live at Under-the-Apple-Tree studio owned by Northampton-born Bob Harris (Radio 2 presenter and host of the much-acclaimed Old Grey Whistle Test) and make a live recording for TraversTV. They will also collect the unique TRS22 Trophy handmade by our sponsors Majestic Joinery.

The final will occur on Saturday afternoon, the 20th of August, on the HFM Stage at Glastonblaby Music Festival.

The four finalists are:
Jordon Poole (Oakham, Rutland)

Jordon is a singer/songwriter with a true passion for Country Music and big aspirations to pursue a career in the music industry. Jordon takes inspiration from the likes of Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs and Josh Turner. “ I would love to go down the country music road and see people singing my music.”

Jordon will be playing two of his songs written in collaboration with Dan Poole, “California” and “Addicted”, and his take on Elton John’s classic “Rocket Man”.

Mattaeus Wardley (Ecton, Northampton)

Mattaeus is a self-taught musician who plays guitar, piano, ukulele and drums and is fascinated with the origins of all types of music. He is always looking to further his musical knowledge. Drawing inspiration from his heroes David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Blur, Mattaeus’s goal is to “… create music people can connect to and feel emotion”.

Mattaeus will be performing two of his songs, “Implosion” and “I Wanna Get Out”, and an Oasis cover “, Supersonic”, played with a melancholy twist.

Worm and the Earlybirds (Coalville, Leicestershire)

Worm and the Earlybirds is a unique talent who loves different types of music, especially songs that change a lot, incorporate different genres or bend genres. “When I’m writing songs, I easily get bored with one idea, so I usually throw together different sections to tell a story.”

Worm and the Earlybirds will be performing three own compositions “Circles”, “Springtime Honey Girl”, and “Stage Light Whore”.

LVT (Leicester)

LVT is short for Lavender Tanyah, an inspirational singer/songwriter with the ambition to be more than just a one-hit wonder and make a successful career in music. “Music has been a passion of mine since I found out I could sing. I’m grateful to my Grandad, who nurtured my voice. I want to be celebrated worldwide and leave an impact and a legacy for my family and me.”

LVT will perform her songs, including “Karma”, “Me & You”, and “Party With My Girls.”

Travers Rising Stars is a free-to-enter competition organised by The Travers Foundation, a local volunteer-run charity

The Travers Foundation is a volunteer-run Charity that provides financial support to local 13 to 30-year-olds to help them realise their dreams in sport, music and performing arts. We help by nurturing the talent of local teams, groups and individuals in Rutland, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire.

TEN PEAKS CHALLENGE FOR THE TRAVERS FOUNDATION

27/7/2022

The Ten Peaks Attackers will tackle their challenge on Sunday 14th August.

A dozen colleagues and friends tackled the 24-hour Three Peaks Challenge in 2021. They enjoyed the challenge so much that they've attracted even more participants this year and doubled the group size. The aptly names Ten Peaks Attackers will be tackling the ten highest peaks in the Lake District, including - Scafell Pike at 978m, on Sunday 14th August.

The Ten Peaks Attackers will raise funds for Northamptonshire-based charity The Travers Foundation.

The Travers Foundation helps 13- to 30-year-olds living in Northamptonshire, Rutland, and Leicestershire improve their skills in sports, the creative arts, and the performing arts.

Fanny Garrigues, organiser and spokesperson, explains: "We wanted to challenge ourselves this year again as we had so much fun last year! It was a proper success in 2021 and we wanted to reiterate the experience, with a meaningful purpose."

"We wanted to raise money and support a charity where every penny was well spent without any money being spent on administration. We chose The Travers Foundation because it's a local charity helping young people, and we feel our contribution will impact emerging sports people."

The Ten Peaks Attackers have set up a Just Giving page for donations https://t4sey.com/3BcGZ6O

Nick Hart - The New Artist Setting A Head-On Collision Course For The Popular Music Industry

14/7/2022

“Nick Hart is going to succeed in this business where very few do. I am impressed!” - Nick Patrick, Multi Award Winning Record Producer (Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, Sting)

Nick Hart’s, the winner of Travers Rising Stars 2021, announces his highly anticipated debut, the ‘Escape’ EP,. This is an ambitious and refreshing opposite to the quick-fire, auto-tuned world of pop today. Combining different genres, styles and soundscapes, Nick has created a truly unique audible experience. A far cry from what you’d expect from any debut.

With an extensive history of classical training and live performance experience, Nick has brought his meticulous attention to every last detail to the world of recording. Despite being entirely self-funded, the ‘Escape’ EP has the same quality of sound you’d expect from the very top of the industry.

“As far as I’m concerned, nothing can beat or replicate the magic of great musicians playing together! I’m very blessed to have used an extraordinary group of musicians who have worked with so many phenomenal artists, artists including Paul McCartney, Elton John and Ed Sheeran.” - Nick Hart

“The impossible equation hasn’t been producing the EP; it’s been not getting evicted while doing so.” - Nick Hart

Unafraid to confront mental health issues, the ‘Escape’ EP gives an intimate glimpse into Nick’s personal battle, a battle which has lasted over half his life.

“Now I look back, I wonder if I wrote the lyrics subconsciously as a way to try and understand and come to terms with my mental health issues. It scares me to think about the almost impossible depths of despair I was experiencing and I’m still shocked today by how many people are suffering in silence.” - Nick Hart

“I’m not going to pretend it’s easy; it’s definitely not. Every step of the way is agonising, but perhaps these lyrics can help show someone that it doesn’t have to be that way. You’re not alone. There is a way out.” - Nick Hart

In an age of digital music, Nick Hart is decisively analogue. His organic approach and ethos feel more in tune with music from the ‘70s. Nick’s work ethic, willingness and commitment to produce music he is passionate about, regardless of genre or style, puts him in sharp contrast to the show-off social media, ‘stay in the box’ mentality of the industry today. Nick is a force to be reckoned with.

“Nick’s a one in a million with his ability to write, sing and perform in a truly inspiring way, an amazing young artist. His songs are mesmerising and memorable. Simply put, he is a genius!” - Steve Watts (radio presenter)

Find out more:

Streaming everywhere (links available via the website)
Website: https://nickhartofficial.com/
Email: contact@nickhartofficial.com
Facebook: @NickHartOfficial
Twitter: @NickDHart
Instagram: @nickhartofficial
TikTok: @nickhartofficial

Helping local young musicians to get more gigs with TraversTV

30/5/2022

Musicians with good vocal and musical ability now can create a live video performance to promote their talent to help them to get more live gigs.

The Travers Foundation want to help ambitious and original young musicians who want to perform live.

TraversTV Video Recording is initially open to solo artists between the ages of 13 and 30 who live in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, or Rutland. Bands and singing groups will be included later in the year.

TraversTV is run by The Travers Foundation, a local volunteer-run charity. They make a real difference by giving financial support to local 13 to 30-year-olds in the region to help them realise their dreams in sport, music, and the arts.

Terry Forsey, Chairman of the Travers Foundation, said, "Local Young Musicians can apply for a live video recording funded by The Travers Foundation and hosted on www.traverstv.live. To help us assess ability, we ask that each application is supported by a brief unedited audition video no longer than ten minutes."

Terry added, "These videos do not need to be of a professional standard; a home phone video will be sufficient. They must be live, unedited, and consist of 1 or 2 tracks to showcase their talent."

The Travers Foundation will supply PA, Mics, lighting, and cameras. The Travers Foundation cover all the costs for recording, editing, and publishing your video. The value of this session is £750,

Musicians under 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult.

To apply visit www.traverstv.live and hit “Apply Here”.

Nick Hart, winner of Travers Rising Stars 2021, in his own words

13/5/2022

Nick Hart, the winner of Travers Rising Stars 2021, tells the story of how he entered Travers Rising Stars 2021, and his approach to the performance which resulted in his victory. Nick provides a very personal insight to his experience and talks about what he's done since he was announced as the winner. Nick also takes time to give some very valuable guidance to this year's competitors.

APPLYING

I first heard about Travers Rising Stars when an advert from a local publication was thrust in front of me.

After a few days contemplating entering, I realised the closing deadline was at the end of the week. Unsure what the judges would be looking for, I decided to keep the setup as simple as possible and just aimed to deliver a good sound of a couple songs that I felt passionate about.

I put something together that I felt represented me as an artist. Personally, I believe raw musicality is always most important.

THE FINAL

I have a lot of experience performing live concerts, private functions and theatre productions. So I approached it like any other live performance; practice and preparation.

I focused my set on the tracks of mine which spoke the most to me.

I thought it would be a fun little exercise to write a track for the final, to see what it would bring out. The track which resulted, 'High Road', turned out to be one I'm proud of, one which speaks to me on a very personal level.

Typically, the day of the final brought clouds and rain. However, for me, it felt very calm, and nothing too stressful. Preparation is a bit of a ritual for me, so for the 45 minutes to an hour before I went on I must have looked a little strange; a random person strolling up and down a dusty car park, making all kinds of weird noises behind a stage, but that's the job.

At the end of my set, I felt shocking. There were far too many little mistakes and errors for my liking, perhaps due to my finger being sliced open and bleeding profusely everywhere. That's one way to play join the dots! However, the reception from the crowd was great and the feedback from individuals I know and trust was all positive.

AND THE WINNER IS...

I didn't register at all when my name was announced as the winner, I just wasn't expecting it! I didn't even register that they said my name. It took a nudge from the person next to me to realise that something had happened. I'd not even thought about winning. So when I realised, it was all a bit odd, but in a really good way.

THE WINNER'S PERFORMANCE

I was still in disbelief, so I just warmed up and got on with it. To my delight, the set was much smoother and more vibrant.

The highlight of my sets was a track extremely close to my heart. "How can I tell you I love you?" is the track I've written which means the most to me out of any. One night it just came to me, and 10 minutes later it was done. It was such a vividly beautiful and distressing point in my life. It's so personal, I have to be extremely careful. If I'm not in the right frame of mind, I simply can't finish the song. It catapults me right back to that moment in time and overloads me. In that winner set, I was in a great frame of mind and yet I still had a tear rolling down my face.

Nick Hart - High Road, Ordinary Hero

Nick Hart - How can I Tell You I love You

MY VISIT TO UNDER THE APPLE TREE

The day was so relaxed and the recording itself was straightforward. Get to the studio, set up, do your thing, chat, have tea, and solve any issues. Very professional, which is what I expected.

The experience was great. Bob Harris and Miles Harris are such lovely people and so friendly, kind, warm and welcoming. It's always great to hear the thoughts and feedback from individuals who have such a rich and long-standing history in the music industry. As it happens, they were extremely complementary of the tracks and performance, which is a fantastic feather in the cap to have!

NICK'S ADVICE TO ENTRANTS OF TRS 2022

Enjoy it; it's as simple as that. Don't overthink it. Enjoy it.

Do material that you believe in. Do it for yourself because when you try to please someone else, it never works out as well as doing something you are passionate about. It doesn't matter what the outcome will be because you'll get great value out of the experience and a far better performance.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR NICK HART

Winning Travers Rising Stars, I can say for the first time, I feel confident in saying that things are looking promising. I've got two phenomenal, world class mentors who are very graciously taking the time to guide me and constantly push me to become the very best artist I can be. I am proud to say they have changed every single aspect of the way I work, beyond recognition and I can't wait to see where things go! I must extend my utmost sincere thanks to these two individuals.

So I'm feeling strong. I'm in a great place to move things forward and the rest of the year has already been allocated for a couple of exciting and complex projects. With my debut EP coming out shortly as well, it's going to be an extremely busy year.

The Gretton Charity Sportive returns on Saturday 25th June 2022

18/4/2022

A recent study published in the American College of Sports Medicine showed that just one 30-minute exercise session could boost your mood and tackle depression. These chemical messengers can create euphoria and pain relief that is stronger than that produced by morphine.

The Gretton Charity Sportive will take you a little longer than 30 minutes to complete when it returns for its 4th year on Saturday 25th June. The stunning backdrop of the Welland Valley will boost the health and mood of all our participants.

Cyclists will be very well catered for whether they choose to ride the 50km or 100km route. There will be well-stocked feed stations (featuring the return of cake now that Covid restrictions have ended!), including one at the popular cycling café Spokes, a sweeper van, finishers medals and a barbecue and bar at the finish line.
As in previous years, all profits from The Gretton Charity Sportive will go to The Travers Foundation.

Bruce Donald, Trustee of The Travers Foundation and Director of Wild Dog Events, says: ‘We’re delighted to be running this popular cycling event, now in its fourth year. We know many more people have been enjoying cycling during the lockdown. We want to put on a fun and challenging event for them whilst also supporting the fantastic work of The Travers Foundation. The Travers Foundation gives young people the opportunity to excel, which fits our ethos of helping people realise their full potential.’

Bruce added, “Why don’t you grab a few cycling pals and book before the 23rd May 2022 at https://www.wilddogevents.com/gretton-sportive to benefit from the early bird discount.”

Now Local Musicians can win a prize worth £5,000 and record their new single!

25/3/2022

Kieran Forsey of The Travers Foundation Celebrates with Yasin El Ashrafi of HQ Recording

In addition to over £5,000 of prizes on offer to the winner of Travers Rising Stars, the prize package just got a whole lot better!

Travers Rising Stars is a free to enter competition arranged by The Travers Foundation, a local volunteer-run charity.

The winners will now be able to record their first single, mixed and mastered by a professional engineer. They will enter a professional photographic studio to create their music video and single cover artwork. And throughout this process, they will receive music industry mentoring.

Kieran Forsey, Event Director for Travers Rising Stars, announced an unrivalled partnership with the central Leicester studios of HQ Recording, who will be delivering this complete artist development package.

Kieran said, “HQ Recording and Travers Rising Stars share the same ambition to give young local aspiring talent a step on their journey toward becoming a recording artist and live performer. Working with Yasin and his team at HQ Recording, there are opportunities for the winner Travers Rising Stars 2022 to go on to achieve great things.”

Yasin El Ashrafi, the founder of HQ recording studio, added, “I set up HQ Recording with the simple mission of helping young talented local artists achieve their full potential by offering mentoring, support, and experience in the creative industries. I aim to help as many local artists as I can to develop and start working towards their dreams. Travers Rising Stars is a perfect event for local musicians to achieve this.”

Travers Rising Stars is a free-to-enter competition open to any band, singing group or solo artist aged 13 and 30 who live or study in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, or Rutland.

In addition to the HQ Recording Package, winners are invited to a live recording session at Under The Apple Tree, the music brand curated by Whispering Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2 and best known for presenting the BBC Old Grey Whistle Test. Bob and his son Miles have spent the last five years building up an online audience with more than two million hits on its exclusive YouTube channel, WhisperingBobTV.

Auditions will be in the form of an unedited ten-minute video. The best entries will go forward to a LIVE FINAL in August 2022 on the competition Stage at Glastonblaby 2022. The winner will be invited to perform on the main festival stage. Those keen to make their break in the local music scene can register their interest now at www.traversrisingstars.com. The closing date is 26 June 2022.

Kieran said, “Travers Rising Stars gives a young band or artist a real opportunity to get their music heard by a wider audience. The partnership with HQ Recording, Under The Apple Tree, and Glastonblaby gives the winner a unique stepping stone into the music industry.”

NOTES:
The Travers Foundation is a volunteer-led charity that provides financial support to 13-30-year-olds to help them realise their dreams in sport, music, and the performing arts see www.travers-foundation.org.uk.

\Under the Apple Tree brings its audience the best in live music through its online channel, live events, showcases, radio shows and podcasts.
www.undertheappletree.co.uk

HQ Recording provides a relaxed, creative studio environment located in the heart of Leicester City Centre. They boast a high-quality recording facility across two rooms, with the latest in cutting edge digital software and hardware and a team of highly skilled producers & sound engineers. Artists always leave satisfied with a product of the highest quality.
www.hqrecording.co.uk

The annual Glastonblaby music festival is held at Blaby in Leicestershire and raises thousands of pounds each year for local charities. For the latest updates on Glastonblaby 2022, see www.glastonblaby.co.uk

Even more help for young people in 2022

1/3/2022

The Travers Foundation announces new funding for 2022, where young people can receive unrivalled support.

The Travers Foundation provides vital financial support to young people who otherwise cannot pursue their dreams in sport, creative and performing arts. The Travers Foundation is run by a team of volunteers, meaning every penny they raise goes directly towards helping local young people. The Travers Foundation is committed to helping young people from Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland to realise their dreams.

Terry Forsey, Chairman of The Travers Foundation, said, “As we emerge from the pandemic, young people are now playing catch up across sport, creative and performing arts. Our work is essential to help them get back on track.”

“As we start the year, we’re looking for young sportspeople who we can support by funding their Coaching and their Competition costs. We’re looking for young musicians we can support by funding live video performances and recording studio time and we’re looking for young actors, dancers, or producers who we help with coaching and production costs.

Since our inception, we have spent almost £250,000 funding over 600 young people.

We’ve helped fund skilled young people to progress from local winners to world champions, winning over 1,500 medals in local, national, and international competitions.
We’ve helped local musicians to record and release their debut albums.
And we’ve helped aspiring actors and producers to launch their acting, filmmaking, and production careers.

The application process is quick and easy to complete; visit our website www.travers-foundation.org.uk and select “Apply for support”.

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