'Mum's youth club helped make my music dream a reality'
BBCWhen Isaac Paris Spence was a teenager, he dreamt of becoming a musician but felt he did not have the right guidance to make it happen.
His mother, Diane Spence, wanted to change that and set herself a goal. To open doors for Isaac and other local young black people, and to transform representation in the workplace.
"My son lived in an area which was quite isolated for him; it was a space where he didn't see people that looked like him," Diane said.
"I wanted to create something where people who had that challenge could come together through shared experiences."
The charity Genesis Sun was born, with the youth club meeting on a fortnightly basis in Wolverhampton, introducing young people to inspiring mentors who offer invaluable career and life advice.
Now 21, Isaac is a student at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Birmingham, with university originally being something he never believed was an option.
"There are a lot of people that I have met that have helped put me in rooms that I never thought myself possible to be in," he said.
"I wouldn't be in this position to have these opportunities and pursue this dream if it weren't for the connections I've made through Genesis Sun."
The charity, which receives funding from BBC Children in Need, has engaged more than 1,500 young people since 2020.
Some of the young people are currently working on a project called Black Country Roots and Realities, capturing African, Caribbean and mixed-heritage stories across Wolverhampton and the wider Black Country.
The project "equips young people with the skills and agency to preserve lived histories, ensuring they are shared and never lost."
Other young people in the charity have been working on comic books, creative art projects, writing music and learning about filmography and photography.
Diane, a mentor, said: "I've had really great feedback. Things like, 'You've changed my life. I didn't know I could do something like this', just even things like, 'It gives me something to do.'
"It's just a really good feeling for me; it makes me feel quite delighted, really."
One local musician, 18-year-old Nai Whittaker Samuel, has been part of the charity for the last few months.
"I just came one day. I was a bit scared, but everyone was really welcoming. We did a lot of fun activities, and I have been coming ever since.
"I am a singer; I produce music too and write my own music, and they have helped me become confident with it. I feel like this is a space where I can just be myself and be with more creative people.
"Having a community in the creative industry is the most important thing," she added.
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