GTown Talents is an up-and-coming community youth organisation that provides a space for young people from diverse backgrounds to come together and express themselves through urban music. It was founded in 2019 to promote Kent’s talented young musicians in a spirit of respect for all races and to give back to the local community.

Creative Estuary has been partnering with GTown Talents since 2022. This co-commission consisted of a free youth concert at Ebbsfleet Football Club which saw young people aged 18-27 from Kent & the South East showcase their urban musical talent in a professional setting. The musicians developed their creativity and performance skills, producing high-quality rap and R&B music and showcasing it in front of an enthusiastic live audience. Founder of GTown Talents Jimmy Babalola said, “Working with Creative Estuary has given us the opportunity to develop our ideas into reality. Together, we have successfully produced two amazing showcases, which have provided opportunities for many young people.”

More recently, GTown Talents debuted GTown Fest, their first-ever music festival where hundreds gathered at Gravesend Promenade to celebrate the local urban music scene on Saturday 16^th September 2023. The successful community festival aimed to provide aspiring Hip-hop, R&B, rap and Afrobeat artists with live exposure and promote cultural diversity in the local music scene. The festival showcased the county’s talent and included captivating performances by headliners such as rapper Devlin, who shot to fame in the 2010s when he released a single in collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Labrinth that charted in the UK Top 10. Backroad Gee also performed, a breakout UK rapper who released the viral hit ‘PartyPopper’. Jimmy said, “The local artists had great things to say as it helped further their development – this was the first time on a big stage for many of them.”

The success of the festival received widespread media coverage, featuring in KentOnline and on BBC South East news. Following the success of GTown Fest Jimmy said “We will continue to grow and get bigger. This is the first of what is hoped to be an annual festival.”

We’re immensely proud of what GTown Talents has achieved. Their work continues to help connect and unite young people within Kent and beyond. We eagerly look forward to witnessing their continuous growth, as they continue to make significant strides in their mission.