After crafting a recording studio and classrooms from a bare community centre room, a music project is hoping to grow its profile as a youth music hub after receiving a £100,000 grant.

Leaders of the Music Arts Project (MAP) in Brandon have spent three months refurbishing its Gateway site in the Harvey Adams Centre, fitting it with a working studio, rehearsal spaces and classrooms.

Now the community interest company has received a funding boost from Youth Music, which it plans to use to expand its offering to local youngsters.

Kevin Chilvers, director of music education at MAP, said: 'It's a big chance for us to develop our site in Brandon.

'Our primary aim is to help people into employment. You come in and experience what we have going on, and that leads you into taking part in our Saturday morning sessions to performing for our events and organising our open mic nights.'

MAP began this expansion of its workshop offering last Thursday, when professional musician, producer and composer Jim Davies led a workshop on writing music for film and television with a group of media studies students from City College Norwich.

It forms part of a new project for MAP which will see college students teach what they have learned to youngsters taking part in its weekend workshops.

Mr Chilvers said: 'They're working with a professional of a high level – we hope it will inspire them to want to move into that industry.'

Mr Davies said: 'Teaching is really gratifying when you get a bunch of students who are really up for it and really interested. They'll have taken away a lot of new skills and ideas, and that feels good for me.'

Along with more professional workshops, MAP has brought in more specialist tutors to provide instrumental lessons and will be offering new classes such as samba music.

Mr Chilvers added: 'It's about helping the kids to experience different types of music and production.'

Has your charity or organisation received a grant? Email bethany.whymark@archant.co.uk