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.”

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. 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

Centre where they hold a long-term lease alongside Full Circle, developing exciting new partnerships, and expanding their reach to ever more young people across the city.

An advocate for cross organisational collaboration, Darren enthuses,“ACE prides itself on partnerships, they’re fundamental to being able to offer young people the range and breadth of support and services that they need.” And ACE embody this in the way they work and roll out their services across the city. Through funding from Bristol City Council, ACE have been delivering Targeted Youth Services throughout East Bristol in collaboration with Creative Youth Network, the Horn Youth Concern, Bristol Drugs Project, Empire Fighting Chance, Youth Moves, Southmead Development Trust and others since 2018.

In partnership with events organisation, Team Love, ACE offer career events for young people. They also work with St Pauls Carnival to commission the beloved Carnival’s youth stage. In 2021, ACE teamed up with Bristol’s Nature Youth Connection and Education (NYCE) and ARC Adventures in the Breacon Beacons to take 14 inner-city young people on an adventure that saw them mountain biking the hills, kayaking the lakes, rolling down the rapids, and hiking the mountains of South Wales.

As though all of this were not enough for one organisation, ACE established MAESTROSound, a commercial studio space that is available to the public for studio sessions and equipment hire at community rates. Visit their website at: www.maestrosound.co.uk. ACE are the proud parents of BORN2BE Records, a record label run for and by young people in Bristol producing music of black origin. Co-founder Darren says, “It’s about youth empowerment in the music industry, and giving young people the autonomy and the driving seat to lead their own destinies.” Check them out at: www.born2berecords. com. To top it all ACE have now created the ACE Fund, a funding pot that young people can apply to for financial support on their journey.

ACE have received due recognition, winning a Rise Award in 2019 for their outstanding contribution to the community. To find out more about ACE, and keep up with their activities and services, go to: www.aspirationcreationelevation.com.