CHAPEL FM

At the heart of Seacroft, 4 miles East of Leeds, sits Chapel FM, the area's first and only dedicated arts centre. In a country where funding to youth services have been cut by up to 70% over the past decade, the work that goes on behind these chapel doors proves invaluable to the surrounding community.

An early autumnal breeze danced and swirled as a crowd gathered in front of Seacroft Methodist Church. As the scissors clenched around the ribbon that hung in front of the new entrance, Chapel FM was about to unveil its newly refurbished home. A new chapter was about to begin.  

With a wall knocked through from the chapel building to the hall next door, the building had effectively doubled in size with an open café space joining the two.

The day provided great excitement for all. Puppet making workshops took place before a Peter Mitchell photo exhibition opening.

The chance to learn how to create your very own radio show was given to those who ventured into one of the radio studios. Photographer Lizzie Coombes worked with Chapel FM's Director of Words, Peter Spafford, to create poem portraits of those who attended.

Large, brightly coloured phoenix puppets danced around the village green, putting smiles on the faces of those sitting in nearby pubs and homes.

A festival-like feel descended upon Seacroft that day with great celebrations taking place throughout.

"We were going to do the reopening in March, when we invited the young people back into the building," Katy Hayley, the group's participation manager said, "but it just didn't feel quite ready at that point.

"We needed to stop and recognise our achievements of getting to this point."

Whist their journey had started many years ago, reopening the chapel in September was a huge achievement on its own, especially during a pandemic. Reopening their doors to those around them was a huge milestone for not only them, but also for the community they're part of.

"It went well, we had a great turnout," Katy noted, "it was a fabulous three-week festival."

With the Good to Go celebrations behind them, Covid restrictions lessened and people eager to return, the real work was just beginning.

In just over four months, Chapel FM would, as annually is the tradition, commit to a Musicathon. A 24-hour non-stop live performance with over 40 different acts taking part.

And regular life would resume. In the months that followed Good to Go, the building was in full use. One hour saw a jazz collective rehearsing, the next, an open mic with all invited.

The hive of activity, whilst subdued somewhat through the pandemic, was very much alive again.

But at the very core of everything Chapel FM does is providing a platform for young voices to be heard, something that never really ceased throughout the previous couple of years.

The Next Generation

Like two groups of opposing Fleet Street journalists, the Young Broadcasters sat huddled around separate tables drafting questions to ask their new music worker Martin Berger, and local musician Molly Rymer.

Being watched under the careful eye of Director of Words, Peter Spafford, the group worked quickly, throwing around ideas for what to cover in their interviews.

"Why don't we ask Martin about his home town in Argentina?" One proposed.

"Or what about how he got into music?" Another responded. Each idea was excitedly jotted down on a large piece of paper, later to be refined and adapted before recording in the radio studio.

The diversity in the room was striking. Kids from all different ages and backgrounds sat next to one another. No question about each other's roles, just simply working together to create the best possible interview to air the following day.

Once either group was happy with their questions, they headed for a radio booth, equipped with nothing more than their piece of paper and a pen. With that, they pressed record and began interviewing.

Martin sat back smiling as he answered the questions posed. The Young Broadcasters nodding to one another to signify who asked the next in their own silent language.

Questions focussed heavily on two categories close to Martin's heart: music and travel.

"When I was 16, a friend of the family visited and was playing [his saxophone]," the new music worker responded to a question of how he got into music in the first place, "and I heard him playing this saxophone and that just blew me away. I was like 'I want that'."

For some in the room that day, this was a session they'd been attending for many years. For others, like Martin, this was one of their first. But regardless of their experience, each person was given a chance to speak. To voice their opinion and share their thoughts.

The recorded interviews, once complete, would be played in the following day's Red Kite episode, a radio series created by the young people themselves.

The first Red Kite aired after lockdown in August 2020, exploring what the area around them looked like after months of lockdown. Providing a dedicated space for stories "by, for and about young people."

In previous weeks, the group has covered topics from the pandemic and music, to the US election in 2020 to the Kill the Bill protests in the UK.

But now, with the interviews pre-recorded, guests invited and a running order for the following day drafted, the group were ready to tackle their final Red Kite of the year.

"Somewhere safe, creative and inspiring"

The monthly schedule at Chapel FM is one of great extremes. With radio at its core, the studios are typically full with different groups recording various pieces.

However, in addition to that, activities within Seacroft Methodist Church are rich in diversity and creation. Many of which have very little to do with radio broadcasting. Radio simply being the anchor that holds everything together as one.

A typical week would see an open mic in the main hall upstairs, following a young broadcasters session; a weekly writing group a day before a older generation singing group.

"Growing up, you want somewhere safe, creative and inspiring," James Lewis Moran stated as he sat in the café space downstairs with an open mic roaring on in the hall above.

He explained that he struggles with certain forms of learning difficulties, one being alexithymia, a term used to describe someone that has problem with feeling and conveying certain emotions.

For him, creativity is something that everyone has within them and is something that should be allowed to flourish. But in his experience, is something that's typically dampened.

"Kids get bullied for being creative, so they hide their talent. That's why this space is so important," he said as he folded a leather book together and placed it within his backpack. After asking him what was written inside, he explained it contained material for a new poetry book. It would be one of five once finished.

He looked up, smiling at the preserved iron-pillars, providing support for the ceiling, "grand architecture like this is usually bulldozed by the council. We need to preserve communal areas like this."

Only the day before, he sat alongside a mixed group in the weekly writing course, led by Chapel FM's inhouse writer Peter Spafford.

Each week, they gather to work on their writing skills, mainly as a hobby for most, providing support for one another as they share what they'd crafted throughout the week.

The Calm Before the Storm

With only a handful of days before the Musicathon was set to take place, Elliott and his team received unwelcome news: the UK government were looking to impose new Covid-19 restrictions in the weeks running up to Christmas.

With cases rising again, and a new variant to combat, doubt was shed over whether the event would take place.

The previous year, those at Chapel FM had run an entirely online event, with musicians playing from their own home, some from other countries.

"I said last year that there would be no way I'd commit to another completely online Musicathon again," Elliot admitted in the light of the news, laughing. "It was great to do that once, being sat in the Chapel on my own at 3 in the morning, but I wouldn't want to do it again."

Even if Elliott was open to the idea of a similar setup, switching to this format with such sort notice would be near impossible. The Musicathon, especially this year, had taken months to plan.

"As we're sitting here just now, we're waiting on word from Boris Johnson tonight about if we're all going to have to work from home," Elliott admitted as he sat looking at the final running order for the weekend, with a slight glint of worry in his eyes.

Thrown into limbo with just hours to go, Elliott and his army of volunteers were simply sitting and hoping. Waiting for the Prime Minister's word.

"Work from home if you can," was the advice administered by the Prime Minister just days before the weekend of the Musicathon. The final three words arguably allowing the event to go ahead.

As the country moved into Plan B, masks were once again made compulsory in all theatres and music venues.

"Luckily, I think we're okay," Elliot confessed as he sat back from his computer with less than 24 to go until the first note of the 2021 Musicathon was to be played.

"We'll enforce masks and distance people as much as possible, which is something we were going to try doing anyway, but apart from that, I think we're good to go."

With that, the group of tech volunteers descended upon the chapel to iron out any final problems before the big day.

In true Chapel FM spirit, the army of volunteers consisted of all ages and backgrounds. A middle-aged woman would be standing next to a teenage guy learning about lighting, or the sound desk. Someone with absolutely no experience would be listening to the same advice as someone who's worked in live events for decades.

Tony Dawson, one of the more senior members of the tech group who has worked in live theatre for over 20 years at surrounding venues talked about how the event had grown over the years as he stood making final adjustments to the lighting desk.

"It's become a lot more streamlined over the years," he said, checking the camera feeds. "Compared to how it was 11 years ago, in a building that desperately needed renovating, it's definitely come a long way."

He paused.

"I have to say, I think I preferred it back then. The craziness of it was brilliant... You'd have people just asleep everywhere," he laughed. "One thing is though, I won't be doing the full 24 hours. I've done it before a couple of times, and learnt my lesson..."

With cameras aligned and lights set up, with miles of cables run and Covid precautions put in place, the group were ready to tackle the 13^th annual Musicathon.

War of the Chapel

With the Musicathon set to go ahead, the next generation group gathered a few days in the run up to complete plans for their own idea.

Just the week before, the infamous HG Wells radio broadcast boomed through the hall upstairs, in the light of the stain glass windows.

Henry and Martin had thought it could make for interesting listening if they were to do something similar. To interrupt the Musicathon towards the end and shock the audience with a storyline filled with terror.

Under the towering organ in studio 3, the group were set on coming up with a setting for their radio drama.

"What about if we pretend someone got possessed?" One suggested, excitedly.

"No, it has to be realistic. What about if a volcano had erupted, sending the world into chaos?" Another responded.

"No, people would know that was fake..."

Jack the Ripper was an idea branded too serious, whilst the thought of convincing the audience of a new Covid lockdown seemed too soon.

After a short period of ideation, the group landed on the idea of the chapel being demolished. It was a topic close to everyone's hearts and something that, in the current climate, could be rather convincing.

With an plan in mind, the older group began drafting ideas for mock interviews. Scripting scenes and rehearsing. The younger generation earlier that day had already recorded protest chants with Martin about a similar topic.

"The radio drama will be recorded and played back during the 24-hour music event happening this weekend," Martin explained to the group, smiling mischievously.

"There will be a band playing and half way through, boom! Someone comes running in shouting 'hold on, hold on!' and interrupts the whole thing."

A great deal of excitement spread like a wave through the room in anticipation of how this disruption could go.

"Let's interview the person bulldozing the chapel!" A suggestion came flying in.

"And what about some older people in the café?" Another added.

A general murmur of laugher spread when it was suggested that someone should be for the chapel being knocked down.

In just two sessions, the group had drafted an idea, grown it with the help from Henry and Martin, and rehearsed and recorded interviews ready to be pieced together for 2021's Musicathon.

An idea that would, the group hoped, gate-crash the party.

The Future

With 2021 bringing a renovated building, new staff and countless exciting events, the last year has been eventful for those at Chapel FM. From their work with young people to writing groups and open mic events, it's evident as to how important their role is in the surrounding area.

At a time where funding for the arts is plummeting, centres such as Chapel FM prove invaluable to developing creativity in all communities.