The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation is delighted to announce a grant to Sanctuary 2027 to support Sanctuary in the Booth, a new DJ participation project for people seeking sanctuary in Sheffield.
The project will use the power of music to help participants build confidence, learn new skills and create connections within Sheffield’s vibrant music community.
Sanctuary 2027 is a collaboration between Stand and Be Counted Theatre and City of Sanctuary Sheffield, created to mark 20 years since Sheffield became the UK’s first City of Sanctuary. Across 2027, the programme will bring together large-scale events and community-led activity to celebrate and reaffirm Sheffield’s commitment to being a place of safety, welcome and belonging.
Through Sanctuary in the Booth, around 10–15 adults who are refugees, people seeking asylum or other newly arrived migrants will take part in a series of practical DJ workshops between October 2026 and January 2027.
Working with Calabash, participants will learn skills including mixing, music selection, performance and event preparation. Importantly, no previous DJ experience is required.
The project is about much more than learning to DJ. It will create a welcoming space for people who can face significant barriers to accessing creative opportunities, allowing participants to share music from their own cultures, express themselves, meet others and develop a stronger sense of belonging.
Participants will also have the opportunity to perform their DJ sets at a Sanctuary 2027 celebration event in January, giving them a platform to showcase their skills and contribute to Sheffield’s cultural life.
We are particularly excited by the project’s ambition to create opportunities beyond the workshops. Sanctuary 2027 hopes that participants will go on to DJ at other events across Sheffield during 2027, helping them build experience, connections and potential pathways into the city’s creative and music industries.
At The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation, we believe in the ability of music to bring people together, build confidence and create opportunities. Supporting projects that use music to make a positive difference in people’s lives is at the heart of what we do — continuing Sarah’s belief in the power of music to connect communities and create joy.
We are proud to support Sanctuary in the Booth and look forward to seeing where these new DJs take their skills next.
Congratulations to everyone involved in Sanctuary 2027, we can’t wait to hear what comes from the booth!
The Foundation’s work is made possible in part through the continued support of Amplify Events and Tramlines Festival, whose commitment to music and the Sheffield community helps us support projects like this.