King Charles Tries His Hand at DJing During Manchester Arts Visit
King Charles had a go on the mixing decks during a trip to Aviva Studios in Manchester, home to the city's arts organisation Factory International. The royal visit highlighted the work of the King's Trust charity in supporting young people through creative programmes.
Royal Remix on the Decks
Aspiring DJ Christian St Louis, 22, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, invited the King to try his hand on the mixing table. As he put Charles through his paces, Mr St Louis explained the process: "First, you load up the tracks and then play this one ... there are so many buttons. Once you know what to do, it's easy."
The King moved to the groove as an onlooker commented: "It's not as easy as it looks, is it?" Charles laughed and replied: "I'm trying to get the hang of it." Mr St Louis, formerly from east London, told the King that taking a DJing course through the trust had been "more than helpful" in pursuing his passion.
Creative Futures Programme Impact
In 2024, the King's Trust joined forces with the Elba Hope Foundation, a public charity founded by actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, to launch Creative Futures. This initiative offers free courses designed to inspire young people through the arts, building their skills and confidence to work in the creative industries.
Elba himself was supported by the King's Trust, formerly the Prince's Trust, when he was a teenager. Another beneficiary, Mariama Gallow, 19, from Manchester, read her own poem to the King during the visit. Charles told her he had already seen an example of her poetry which Elba had shown him on film, praising it as "fantastic. Really, really good."
Skills Development and Community Engagement
Charles also met young people who had learned skills in stage construction such as lighting, sound and production through the Factory Academy based at Aviva Studios. Launched in 2018 by Factory International, the Factory Academy aims to provide accessible career pathways into the creative industries and boost creative skills across the region.
The Factory Academy has collaborated with the King's Trust to deliver programmes from Creative Futures, which has helped more than 100 young people across Manchester and is now supporting young people in other parts of the UK.
Royal Recognition and Public Interaction
Before departing, Charles unveiled a plaque to mark his visit and was treated to a performance outside by a choir from the Royal Northern College of Music. The King spoke briefly to members of the public who gathered outside the city-centre venue, including child-minder Jodie Pownall from New Mills, Derbyshire, who brought along young children.
They were rewarded for braving the rain as Charles posed for a photograph, capping off a visit that blended royal engagement with grassroots creative development.
