Young local artists Hit the Stage with Katy B

Filmed by locally based production company Alleycats, Hit the Stage follows the progress of the talented teens from Derry-Londonderry as they follow their hopes and dreams, working with a whole host of stars both on stage and in the studio, including pop star Katy B, who joins them on their musical adventure.

All of the children are participants in the City of Culture’s Music Promise, one of the most ambitious music projects to be undertaken in the country, involving schools, community groups and individual artists.

Alleycats shadowed some of the city’s brightest young hopefuls during the City of Culture year as they took part in some of the highlight events of the 2013 programme. The children all had the opportunity to write, play, record and perform on stage in front of massive crowds at events such as the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, Glasgowbury, and Music City Day - with the likes of Phil Coulter, Glee’s Damien McGinty, Utah Saints and Radio 1’s Phil Taggart.

Kez Margrie, executive producer for CBBC said: “It is fantastic that Katy B has been involved with the series – she gave all the young people a real boost. They manage to pull some incredible performances out of the bag and their Snow Patrol cover is very classy indeed!”

Alleycats have beautifully captured the highs and lows of their musical journey over the course of the year, as the young teens get to grips with the realities and pressures of life in the spotlight. We see them tackle issues such as stage fright, forgetting the lyrics, and the big one - what do you do when no one turns up for a gig? Funny, witty and at times moving, the series make for compelling viewing as executive producer Ed Stobart explained.

“The Music Promise is amongst the most exciting projects I’ve ever been involved with,” he said.

“The kids have really bonded as a group, and it’s been a huge pleasure to see how they have grown and flourished individually and collectively over the year. I’m really looking forward to seeing this go out to a wide audience.”

Music Promise project manager for the City of Culture, Deirdre Donnelly, said the series provided an amazing insight into the lives of just a few of the young gifted performers taking part in Music Promise.

“We have thousands of children this year in the city whose lives have been touched by music as part of the Music Promise programme. But Alleycats have done an amazing job in highlighting on a very personal level the experiences of six extremely gifted young people at a very exciting time in their lives.

“They share their most private moments behind the scenes with their families and friends as they embark on a journey that really throws them into the spotlight, sometimes as they perform for the first time in front of huge crowds.

“We are so excited that they will have the opportunity to appear on national television both as ambassadors for their city during our culture year and for Music Promise.”

The Hit the Stage series will be shown on CBBC at 4.30pm on Monday November 4, and runs every day at the same time for five days.