Hailing from the London Borough of Newham, Forest Gate Youth Steel Orchestra was founded in 1994. In 2000, they became a charity and also twinned with the Carib Tokyo Steel Orchestra in Trinidad forging a cultural exchange program to ensure that their development and education of the artform continued its growth pattern.

Newham Youth Services and Arts and Leisure departments have sponsored and supported Forest Gate in recent years. This bond with their local Borough Council will see Forest Gate evolve into the Newham Steel Orchestra in 2005. Their music teachers include Robert Clarke, Gary Moustache, Alan Baptiste, Marcia Brown and Nadine Nyapadi.

Their current manager, Felix Joseph, has played a major part in the establishment of the orchestra.  His organisation’s aim is to develop young people’s sense of identity and development as well as an appreciation of African/Caribbean heritage and traditions through music, dance, drama and song. They have performed at the numerous charity concerts and appear annually at the Tilbury Festival and Notting Hill Carnival. In 1998, they performed at the Windrush Concert held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank commemorating the arrival of the first Caribbean settlers to Britain in June 1948. They have played at the BAS’ ‘Pan in Trafalgar Square Concert’ in 2001 celebrating 50 years of Steelpan in Britain and have competed at the BAS Pan Explosion competition on several occasions and were awarded the Newham Silver Award for Creative Artists in 2000.   

This group of young and aspiring musicians whose ages range from 14-17 has certainly shown that they take their role as cultural ambassadors very seriously through their performance, enthusiasm, politeness and good nature.  Interested in becoming a member of this band then contact Felix on 0208 474 7467 or email him at newham@panpodium.com.