There’s a rather standard rhythm to conversations about “supporting the next generation”, most of the time it is just noise, a line repeated so often it has no meaning. But every now and then, someone actually does something that cuts through the static. Foot Locker’s new partnership with Studios For All is one of those moments where a brand actually steps in, holds the door open and gives a space to the next generation. Together they’re unlocking 10,000 hours of free studio time for aspiring young musicians across the UK.
For all the UK’s global cultural influence, the reality on the ground has become increasingly bleak: studio spaces are disappearing, arts funding continues to erode, and entire communities are finding themselves priced out of creativity. Talent isn’t the issue, access is. And without rooms to rehearse, record, experiment, and simply exist in the world of music, far too many young artists are forced to step away before they ever begin.
The initiative is powered through Pirate Studios, whose network of over 700 spaces worldwide has long become a lifeline for musicians of every genre and discipline. Foot Locker and Studios For All will direct their 10,000 hours to yoing people in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, cities where music is part of the architecture, yet where access to infrastructure is becoming increasingly fragile. Anyone hoping to secure hours can submit an application via the Studios For All website.
When Access Expands, Culture Moves
There’s a simple truth threading through this entire partnership, when you give people space to create. The entire culture shifts. The UK has always exported sound, from garage to grime, from punk to jungle, from indie sleaze to drill, but those movements didn’t emerge from well-equipped spaces. They came from community studios, borrowed basements, shared headphones and laptops running cracked software. They came from access, and with the cost of living rising and youth centres closing, those entry points become harder to find.
Foot Locker funds the programme through proceeds generated from plastic bag purchases in their stores, small contributions that become more over time. It is a circular model that reinvests into the same communities that define the brand’s identity and keep the sneaker culture moving forward. When access is given, communities rise. When communities rise, stories are heard. And when those stories are heard, culture can really evolve.
To mark the parnership, Foot Locker brought together ten emerging musicians from Birmingham’s Positive Youth Foundation and London’s Collective Beat. The artists wear pieces from the Foot Locker 2025 Holiday range, including exclusive silhouettes of the Nike TN, ASICS GEL-NYC, adidas Handball Spezial and the New Balance 1906.
Creativity is a Right
Foot Locker’s CP Marketing for EMEA, Slavka Jancikova puts is plainly: “creativity should never be stifled by circumstance.“ This initiative is about ensuring young people have the tools to make their own cultural moment. Neil Carter. VP for the UK & Ireland, echoes this message: “Championing our amazing community has always been part of the Foot Locker DNA, so it’s incredibly important for us to be supporting grassroots talent in the UK. Hopefully, this can be the first step for allowing a range of new artists across the country to find their voice and share their unique stories with a much broader audience.”
David Borrie, the founder of Studios For All said: “Our mission is to level the playing field, one studio session at a time. We believe that potential should not be defined by privilege, yet we know that too many young artists are pushed out of the arts simply because they lack access to resources.”
In celebration of the partnership, Foot Locker will transform its Birmingham flagship store into a pop-up DJ studio and workshop hub. Shoppers can learn to DJ alongside local collectives such as Positive Youth Foundation and Birmingham DJ Society, while Pirate community DJs and local MCs bring the space to life.
The initiative is an example of what happens when a major brand engages with the culture and acknowledges that talent is everywhere, but opportunities aren’t and then actively works to close that gap. Ten thousand hours. Real rooms. Real chances to experiment, to grow, to get better. That’s exactly what the culture needs right now, not some simple campaign, but real, loud action.
