COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Aspiration Creation Elevation Written By Rhian Grant
Inspiring St Pauls’ youth with more than just music... Founded as ACE in 2013, Aspiration Creation Elevation is not merely a collection of abstract nouns, but an organisation dedicated to empowering young people, raising their aspirations, and increasing their community engagement. As Managing Director, Darren Alexander, puts it, “Our main focus is to have an effect, an impact, and change the lives of disadvantaged young people who face barriers around socio-economic and racial factors in St Pauls and the surrounding areas. And if we had no money or all the money in the world, that is what we’d do. That’s what we’re here to do, regardless.”
These sessions enable young people to access ACE’s services in a fun, pressurefree environment, where they can engage with people their own age and get to know ACE’s team of Creative Guidance Mentors. From there, the ACE team identify young people who may benefit from one to one talent development sessions, or from the extra support delivered via their Positive Paths programme. Darren and co-founder Cherelle Grant were inspired to create ACE by a project they atttended as teens. Hi-Road Studios was run by their mentor, Jack Kingslake, in St Werburgh’s. After acquiring years of experience in youth and community work, as well as music production, the cofounders began to form the origins of ACE around 2009 with Kingslake’s support, with the intention to continue the legacy of HiRoad Studios. ACE have had an even greater impact than they initially set out to. With the dedication and drive of Darren and Cherelle, and their team of uniquely qualified and experienced Creative Guidance Mentors, ACE have gone from strength to strength, rolling out new services, renovating Docklands Youth
ACE’s flagship project is More Than Music, with open access youth sessions held at Docklands Youth Centre, for 8-21 year olds, three evenings a week. 14
