Students from Newcastle College were busy backstage at the MOBOs last week, immersing themselves in an exclusive opportunity to get up close and personal with artists and industry professionals.

In the lead-up to the MOBO Awards, which was held on Tuesday 18 February, venues across Newcastle and Gateshead hosted The MOBO Fringe - a five-day festival of culture, community, and creativity.

A group of six creative students from Newcastle College were given the chance to be part of the Fringe, working behind the scenes at the PILGRIM (formerly Hoochie Coochie) at the MOBO Unsung: Class of 2025 Showcase.

Owen Thornhill and Leon Clark, both sound engineers, joined videographer Shaheen Daya, media student Johnny McMillan and photographer Laura Mae Daniel and Gracie Matthews at the showcase.

Shadowing professionals, they took part in soundcheck and helped document the evening, which was a landmark event for the newly launched venue.

18-year-old Johnny McMillan, currently in the second year of a Level 3 Creative Media Practice course, was one of the students who worked the event

“The experience was very good and I felt like it was a great opportunity. The team over at MOBOs was very caring and the team at the PILGRIM were also very respectful and lovely to work with. The artists who performed were excellent as well and they often interacted with us on the camera.

“We took a lot of videos for their social media pages, and we were also able to film for our portfolios. The experience as a whole was really good and I am very grateful for the opportunity.”

As an additional thank you to the students for their hard work, they received tickets to the MOBO Awards, which was held in Newcastle for the first time in its history.

Johnny added: “After the event we were then given the chance to go to the MOBOs which we attended together and it was really well put together.”

Michael Lavery, Director of PILGRIM said: “We were delighted to be supported at the event by six outstanding students from Newcastle College who brought creativity, initiative, and real professionalism to the evening – working with our VIP artists and special guests across videography, photography, and AV technical support. They made a special contribution to the energy of the show and seized the opportunities to contribute positively to what was a high-profile professional live music showcase.”

Newcastle College works closely with local employers and businesses like PILGRIM to offer hands-on experiences in industry to students, giving them the tools and insight they need to succeed in their future career.