Music and creative work: In London, young people have been learning directly from Apple experts since this week how to turn these passions into a career. The new program is small-scale, but it takes place in a location that Apple opened just a few weeks ago.
Apple and the British youth charity The King's Trust have launched the Apple x King's Trust Creative Labs, an educational program for young people who want to pursue careers in the creative industries. This was announced in a statement on the Apple Newsroom on October 7.
The first workshops will focus on music and creative work and are linked to the Apple Music Hall at Battersea Power Station, Apple's concert hall in south London. More dates and groups are expected to follow throughout the coming year.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple and The King's Trust are launching an educational program for the creative industry in the UK called Creative Labs.
- The first group comprises up to 20 young people between the ages of 18 and 30.
- The event kicks off with workshops on music and creative work centered around the Apple Music Hall in London.
- The foundation, known as The Prince's Trust until 2024, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
What the Creative Labs offer
In the workshops, participants collaborate with Apple experts from various industries and learn how to use Apple technology in workflows typical of the creative sector. In addition to technical expertise, Apple also emphasizes building self-confidence and providing mentoring: Participants should explore different career paths and receive guidance along the way.
With up to 20 places in the first round, the program is deliberately manageable.
A foundation with 50 years of history
The foundation was established in 1976 by the current King Charles III, then Prince of Wales. Until 2024, it was known as The Prince's Trust and was renamed after his accession to the throne. According to its own figures, it has since helped 1.3 million young people in Great Britain, for example with their path to a career or with starting their own business.
Apple has been collaborating with the foundation for years. Since 2019, Apple has supported the Achieve program, which has been expanded to schools in all regions of the country. It combines science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with creative subjects. Students use Apple's programming learning materials to develop their own apps for their communities. In the twelve-week Team program, young adults also gain access to Apple devices and learning materials for personal development and employability training.
| Program | Since | Target group |
|---|---|---|
| Achieve | 2019 | Schools across Great Britain |
| team | – | young adults, twelve weeks |
| Creative Labs | October 2026 | up to 20 people aged 18 to 30 |
As a next step, Apple mentions learning materials on how to deal with artificial intelligence, which are to be created in collaboration with the foundation for teachers and young people.
The Music Hall will become a learning place
What I find interesting about the program is not so much its size, but its location. The Apple Music Hall was originally a concert hall when it opened – with the Creative Labs, Apple now also uses it as a training facility.
With only 20 places, the first round is more of a pilot project than a widespread program. Its impact will be limited to a few, but its visibility is all the greater – especially in the foundation's anniversary year. For readers in German-speaking countries, it remains a news item from afar: the Creative Labs are aimed at young people in Great Britain.
Would you sign up for workshops with Apple experts on music production or video editing if such a program existed in your country – or do you prefer to teach yourself these skills? Tell us in the comments how you feel about it.
