Celebrating Poppy Bogle: Our Equaliser Programme Mentee
We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that Poppy Bogle has been selected as the mentee for this year’s Equaliser Programme!
Part of the Serious Take Five mentorship programme, the Equaliser Programme is a special partnership between Black Lives in Music, Serious Music, Barbican, and the Royal Albert Hall. It’s a pioneering opportunity designed to develop the talents of the next generation of live sound professionals from global majority backgrounds. This year marks an exciting expansion, as for the first time, the programme will be offering hands-on paid work experience and mentoring at two of the UK’s most iconic and prestigious venues—the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican.
Poppy is a passionate and dedicated trainee sound engineer, with over a year of experience learning and shadowing in various studios and venues across London. Her love for sound runs deep—she’s fascinated by the philosophy of sound and is drawn to the rich textures of Soul, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Dub. Recently, she’s been part of an exciting project testing a handmade Sound System, bringing her one step closer to her dream of working in live sound.
Through the Equaliser Programme, Poppy will have the opportunity to work with industry professionals at the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican as part of their live sound teams. She’ll gain invaluable experience in sound engineering, technical setup, and live concert production, including the renowned Late Night Jazz series and the Barbican’s summer concert programming. Additionally, she will join eight jazz and improvising musicians as part of the Take Five cohort at an artistic residential in the Cotswolds, where she will take part in workshops, music-making, and live sound work, ultimately creating her own live mix of the final performance.
Beyond hands-on experience, the programme provides long-term mentorship, seminars, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with influential figures across the music industry. Poppy will also have the chance to work at landmark events like the EFG London Jazz Festival, further expanding her professional network and experience.
A huge thank you to our partners at Serious Music, Barbican, and the Royal Albert Hall for making this opportunity possible. Their support is helping to build a more diverse and inclusive future in live sound engineering, and we’re so proud to be part of it.