Charitable Aims

Charity Number 1123962

Readipop creates innovative arts projects which aim to challenge and inspire people.

Readipop aims to promote the development of the arts and in particular music for the benefit of the local community by providing studio space and facilities and by organising events and activities which improve public access to the arts and promote understanding and learning about the creative and technical processes involved in the creation of music.

A Brief History...

Readipop was formed in August 1998 with the intention of promoting and developing Reading based music and arts. Our first project was the Readipop No.1 CD which featured 17 Reading based acts. With sponsorship from John Madejski we produced and distributed 10,000 free CDs to local people, Reading Festival goers and the music industry. The CD was hailed a great success and was followed up by a series of popular gigs.

The success of the No.1 CD resulted in Readipop winning a commission from Reading Borough Council to deliver a project which created the Talic CD. This CD promoted music of black origin created by Reading-based artists. The project involved music production workshops with newer artists as well as promoting the work of established acts. 5,000 free CDs were distributed to the public at Reading Carnival in May 1999. Readipop also ran a series of PR workshops enabling the featured artists to learn about promoting their material.

In August, with support from the Madejski Stadium, Readipop released the Readipop’99 CD, once again distributing 10,000 free CDs around the time of the Reading Festival. More gigs and events followed.

In 2000, a new approach was adopted as the millennium year saw the launch of the Readipop2000 fringe festival. Readipop organised gigs, workshops and events all over Reading in the 2 weeks leading up to the Reading festival in a bid to establish a stronger link between the city and the festival.

Readipop was invited by the council to contribute to the Taking Part project which was supported by the European Social Fund. In collaboration with Real Time Video Readipop delivered digital music and DJ workshops with young people in Reading.

In 2001, Readipop continued the Taking Part project and embarked on the Firewire project with funding from Youth Music. It also saw Readipop move into it’s partner studios PlugnPlay a rehearsal, recording and showcase studio. PlugnPlay hosts many of Readipop’s workshops.

2002-2003 saw Readipop become firmly established as Reading’s leading provider of high quality youth music projects with the successful completion of 'Taking Part' and 'Firewire.' In addition, Readipop has delivered workshops and projects for young people throughout the summer holidays. In collaboration with Highdown School, Readipop delivered the acclaimed "Silence Please!" site-specific, digital sound and image installation project.

Readipop has continued to grow and evolve developing it’s practice and delivering a range of bespoke projects for a range of partner organisations, from local schools to international music festivals.

After a year of head-scratching, chin-stroking and form-filling with our new board of trustees, Readipop finally became a charity in May 2008. This came just months before Readipop’s 10th birthday. We’re already forming new project ideas for the next ten years...

Bespoke Projects...

Readipop specialises in creating bespoke projects. We prefer to work with partners to devise and design projects around their needs and to maximise their impact and legacy. We have extensive experience in fundraising and working in partnership.

We can offer projects including DJ skills, CD production and distribution, song-writing, rock band workshops, vocal skills, lyrics, percussion, sound engineering, digital installations, showcase events, digital video, live gigs and interactive digital art. We have an extensive database of artists and workshop leaders who can work in almost any imaginable medium.

If you’d like to discuss working together please feel free to contact us.

Meet the team...

All Readipop’s tutors are experienced, gigging musicians and media professionals with many experience of running music projects. In the past Readipop have run workshops for WOMAD, BBC Blast, V Festival, The Music Industry Association, Goldsmiths College London, Academy of Contemporary Music, and many others.

All tutors have CRB checks in place. You bring the enthusiasm – we bring the experience!

Click for tutor profiles...