For Christopher, Jack, Jake and Lenny of Antiquity, music has always been more than something to listen to. Through The Key to Find Your Spark, they’ve had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local music scene, build industry connections and discover where their passion for music could take them.

The Key to Find Your Spark helps young people explore what excites them and turn those interests into real experiences.

As members of Sunday Band Club at The Bunker, the group recognised that while they had a supportive space to develop their music, they also wanted to experience more of the wider music community. They explained, “We’re quite protected here [at The Bunker] so it’s just getting out and getting introduced to new stuff.”

Through their Stage 1 project, the group attended gigs and music events across the region, meeting other musicians, discovering new venues and making valuable connections. Along the way, they even spoke to someone from a record label and exchanged contact details, something they were especially proud of.

Reflecting on the experience, one member said: “I would say [I'm proud of] talking to the record label. I’m quite proud of that because it’s an important person.”

The project also introduced them to a whole new network of artists. The group reflected “We got to talk to people who are sometimes not even based in Newcastle,” while another member added, “There’s lots of good bands.”

One of the biggest surprised was just how many connections they made: “how many bands we’d get to know. I know a lot more smaller bands than I did before.”

Networking even came with a creative twist. One member discovered an unusual conversation starter saying, “I’m surprised how far a creeper, like Minecraft teddy, can take you in networking.” By taking different teddies to gigs and asking the band to sign it, they found a fun and memorable way to start conversations with musicians and industry professionals.

Overall, this experience helped the group gain valuable knowledge about venues and the local music scene that could support their future ambitions. Visiting different events helped them discover potential spaces for their own gigs and identify local bands they may one day work alongside.

Inspired by everything they experienced during Stage 1, the group have already started planning their Stage 2 project. They hope to organise a charity gig, bringing local bands together while raising money for good causes. One member shared “I want to get as many charities as we can, the more the better.”

Through The Key to Find Your Spark, Antiquity haven’t just attended gigs. They’ve built confidence, expanded their network, discovered new opportunities within the music industry and shown how following a passion can open doors to experiences they never expected.

The group gave other young people taking on a project like this some advice: “Keep it real.”