A million young people. An industry they've never heard of. It's time to make some noise.

Production Futures has announced the next chapter of its Make Noise campaign and with it, a new ambassador who knows exactly what it means to break into the production industry without a roadmap. Freyja Lawson, monitor and stage tech for Yungblud, has backed the campaign and is calling on educators, youth organisations, and the industry to do more to make behind-the-scenes careers visible to the young people who could thrive in them. 

Make Noise, delivered by Production Futures in partnership with Audiotonix and funded by a grant from LIVE Trust, a new initiative supported by a £1 ticket levy on UK arena and stadium shows, is a national competition to win one of twenty Audiotonix STEAM DJ Mixer kits for schools, colleges, youth theatres, home-education groups, and community organisations across the UK. 

The campaign officially launched at Production Futures’ flagship free careers event, ON TOUR, at Manchester's AO Arena on Monday 20 April 2026. 

The event, which gives people the opportunity to meet the entertainment production industry, find their first or next career opportunity and get hands on with training and workshops, saw over 4,000 people through the door in Manchester alone. 

The announcement arrives at a critical moment. With over one million young people currently not in education, employment or training, and growing national debate about how the education system, and those outside it, prepares young people for the world of work, Make Noise is making a direct intervention. It targets not just students in schools and colleges, but the 110,000+ home-educated young people across the UK who are routinely overlooked by traditional industry outreach. 

"I didn't know that was a job" - Freyja Lawson on why visibility matters 

Freyja Lawson's route into the live production industry wasn't a straight line. It started, as it does for many, with music, curiosity and a moment she almost missed. 

"I came in wanting to be a studio engineer for quite a long time. I was really into music, and I got really into trying to make my own music from a very young age, getting a free CD in a cereal packet, making your own beats. And from that I was like, 'Oh, this is cool. I didn't know you could do that.'" 

It wasn't until she discovered a female producer online, someone she could put a name to, a face to a job, that the possibility of a real career began to take shape. And even then, the full scope of what the industry offered took years to reveal itself. 

"It wasn't until I started working in the industry that I realised how many different jobs there actually are in the live sector. You see people at gigs,  you're like, what are they doing? How does that work? All the speakers, where do they come from?" 

That gap between curiosity and knowledge, between a young person watching from the crowd and understanding they could be the one making it happen, is exactly what Make Noise is designed to close. 

"It starts with us" - a call to educators and the industry 

Freyja is clear that the responsibility for change is shared, between the industry, educators, and the wider community of people already working in production. 

"A lot of it is about education, and it's where it starts. Places like youth groups and youth centres are probably one of the best places to begin. Music is such a passion for a lot of young people, and being able to harness that and go, 'actually, what could we do to show them how they can fit into this industry?' I think it comes from educators themselves, and from the industry wanting to give back and bring more people in." 

She points to social media as an unexpected force for good, not just in connecting fans with artists, but in making technical and behind-the-scenes careers feel real and reachable. 

"I started in the industry when Instagram was taking off, and people who were touring with the bands I liked were following those bands. I went, oh my gosh, that person is a guitar tech for this band, that person does monitors for this band. That accessibility, that visibility, it was like, oh, it's actually obtainable. There's a person, I can put a name to a face and a face to a job. If we want to put it out there, I think it would be more attractive to people looking into it. It does start with us." 

The STEAM DJ Mixer: hands-on, for keeps 

At the heart of the campaign is the Audiotonix STEAM DJ Mixer Kit, a build-it-yourself, two-channel mixer that groups of 8–10 people construct together over a few hours. No prior experience needed. All components included. 

Twenty kits will be given away through a national competition, open to any organised group working with young people aged 12-18 across the UK, including schools, colleges, youth theatres, and home-education networks. Each winning group builds their mixer and keeps it, giving them a lasting connection to professional audio technology and the story of how they made it themselves. 

What the people behind it say 

Hannah Eakins, CEO of Production Futures: 

"Make Noise is about opening doors for the future workforce of the production industries. There are thousands of rewarding careers behind the scenes in live events, but many young people simply don't know that they exist. With the support of LIVE Trust and Audiotonix, we're putting real kit into the hands of young people and groups, giving them a practical, creative way to explore careers in audio and production." 

Helen Culleton, COO, Audiotonix: 

"The STEAM DJ Mixer project as part of the Make Noise initiative is a great example of making creative technology accessible to all, giving participants a hands-on introduction to the tools, skills, and behind-the-scenes thinking that power live events and audio engineering." 

Jon Collins, CEO, LIVE Trust: 

"We're delighted to be funding Production Futures' Make Noise project through LIVE Trust. There are so many roles in the live music sector that often go unnoticed. Giving young people visibility of those roles, along with the opportunity to build their skills, networks and develop their early careers, is key to building a sustainable future for our industry." 

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester: 

"Greater Manchester is home to a world-class live events and creative sector, and it's really important that we support pathways into good jobs in these parts of our economy. Programmes like Make Noise are a great way to introduce young people to technical skills in live production and open doors to opportunities across the industry." 

 How to enter 

Applications are open now to any organised group working with young people aged 12-18 across the UK. Groups apply via a short online form, completable in under 10 minutes — and are assessed on reach, impact, and geographical spread.  

KEY DATES: 

Register interest: 20 April - 27 May 2026  

Applications open: 28 May – 31 August 2026  

Winners selected: end of September 2026  

Winners announced: mid October 2026 

For more information and to apply: MAKE NOISE CAMPAIGN | Production Futures