Culture of Inclusivity
Where Different is Good
The Sonic Space is a not-for-profit CIC dedicated to supporting young people, particularly those living with anxiety and neurodiversity, through music, the arts, and spoken word. It hosts live youth music events and tailored music and drama sessions, while working to empower young people to create hyper-local streamed content. Through hands-on experience in production, recording, interviewing, and editing,
The organisation is building a space to provide valuable real-world skills often missed in traditional education systems. It is committed to recognising and rewarding the creativity, commitment, and potential of neurodiverse individuals. Beyond supporting young creators, the organisation will enrich the wider community with live streams and events featuring street-level culture, including open mic nights, local artists, and original content produced by residents.
By amplifying local voices and promoting authentic connections, The Sonic Space helps build a stronger, more inclusive cultural landscape where young people feel heard, valued, and inspired.
Team
Duncan Barkes - Director
Journalist, broadcaster, podcaster and pundit. An experienced media and political operator.
Previously: Broadcast Journalist at BBC Radio London, 5 Live & World Service. He anchored EU Ref and General Election coverage for the BBC, along with coverage of the London Bridge and Westminster Bridge terror attacks and the Grenfell Fire.
Part of the award winning team of Radio London achieving the ‘Gold Award - Best Local Radio Station of the Year’ in 2017. Achieved record audience figures in the 10pm weeknight slot.
Formerly of LBC radio where he presented late and overnight shows with significant audience increases. Co-presenter of LBC's Scottish Ref and Euro Elections coverage.
Jack Hertzberg - Director
Jack is an accomplished, versatile musician who specialises in Guitar and Bass. He is well versed in a number of styles, including Funk, Jazz, Rock, Blues and much more. He has played a wide variety of gigs and venues from Cheltenham Jazz Festival with Fusion band ‘The Sandwich,’ to ‘Victorious Festival’ with local Funk band ‘Beatroot,’ of which Jack MDs and contributes his own compositions.
He has also played numerous venues across London, such as Koko and Camden Bar Fly as well as venues around the rest of the country and taken part in many recording sessions. Jack believes it is important to pass knowledge onto young musicians and is passionate about helping young performers in anyway he can.
Claire Robinson - Director
Claire has spent the last five years working for the Chichester Community Development Trust, an independent charity that owns and manages community spaces to achieve positive social impact, making space for community. There she has seen first hand the needs of many of the young people in the community, and helped build projects and places that support the most vulnerable.
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Passionate about the needs of today's young people living with neurodiversity and bringing about changes that provide tangible, positive impacts on their lives, she knows through lived experiences how too often the education system can leave capable, talented, and driven young people behind simply because of the incompatibility of the school environment and exams process.
Inspiring Creativity Daily
At The Sonic Space, we believe in the transformative power of creativity to inspire and unite our community. Through music, arts, and spoken word, we empower young people to express themselves authentically and creatively, building a sense of belonging and inspiration.
