AudioActive offers a range of free drop-in sessions, workshops and more tailored support for young people in Sussex, engaging with them and helping them through music to reach their full potential.
Room to Rant is one of the organisation’s many free workshops for young people, with the session offering music mentoring to 16-25-year-old men, and the opportunity to share feelings and concerns in a safe space. The programme has not run in Worthing since previous funding ended in 2023, but now a £26,129 donation from Omaze means it can restart, and run for at least 12 months.
AudioActive CEO Adam Joolia said: “Room to Rant has proved to be a powerful lifeline for many young men. This donation from the Omaze community is quite literally going to save lives.”
James Oakes, President of Omaze, said: “Young men’s mental health is a hugely important issue, and AudioActive’s Room to Rant project clearly has the power to have a positive impact. We’re delighted to make this donation on behalf of the Omaze community.”
Jordan Stephens, from chart-topping hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks, took part in AudioActive projects before finding fame, and is now a patron for the charity. He said the Omaze donation has the power to “change lives.” He added: “I don’t think I’d be where I am in my career without AudioActive. I instantly found that connection between writing creatively and using that to express my emotions.”
Along with using rap and spoken word as a therapeutic release, the sessions include a weekly ‘check in’, encouraging discussion and providing peer support, and there’s always a mental health professional in attendance to offer additional help and signposting.
Marshall Mandiangu, 27, joined Room to Rant in 2017. He said: “Before AudioActive I was having an identity crisis. I wasn't able to open up, I always felt scared that I was going to get judged.
“At Room to Rant they not only hear you, they listen to you and give you permission to feel and speak. AudioActive always championed me in regards to my autism, made me feel normal, gave me the confidence not just to accept that part of me, but to be inspired to be my full self.
“I lost my best friend to suicide. It amplified the ethos and the importance of what Room to Rant does.”
Luan Salter explained the difference that Room to Rant has made to his life. He said: “I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism and I found it quite hard to communicate with other people. I felt quite lost because I didn't really have anywhere to go to. AudioActive is the one place I've felt truly heard and like my voice actually mattered.”
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