Kerry, could you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to found the Young Urban Arts Foundation?
I was born into chaos at Holloway Prison, to a mother serving time. My father was deeply involved in crime and my early years were marked by instability, poverty and survival. I grew up in an environment where options felt limited and I saw how easy it was to get caught in a cycle that seemed impossible to escape.
Music became more than just an escape, it was a lifeline. It connected me to mentors, to people who genuinely cared and to a world beyond what I knew. Without those key influences, without those people who saw something in me before I saw it in myself, my story could have been very different.
I was at a crossroads. One where the wrong step could have taken me down a very different path. Instead, I was given an opportunity. There wasn’t a single defining moment but a series of moments. People, music and experiences that guided me towards something greater. One of those was my time in New York, immersed in hip-hop culture, battling, learning and seeing that there was more out there for me. That trip shifted my perspective, it made me realise that my voice had power.
That’s why I founded the Young Urban Arts Foundation (YUAF) because I know that access to creativity, mentorship and opportunity can change lives. I wanted to create the kind of support system I never had growing up. A space where young people feel seen, heard and empowered. Through our Studio Bus, we bring creativity directly into communities, offering young people a way to express themselves, heal and build self-belief.
For me, music was never just about sound, it was about survival, transformation and rewriting my story. Now, through YUAF, I’m helping the next generation rewrite theirs.
