STUDIO MONKEY SHOULDER

Project Manager, 2024, 2025 & 2026

Studio Monkey Shoulder is a global music initiative created in collaboration with Worldwide FM and Monkey Shoulder Whisky, supporting grassroots music communities and the people shaping independent DIY music culture around the world.

Now in its third year, the programme works with collectives, venues, radio stations, record stores and cultural organisers to support community-led projects, from local events and radio broadcasts to creative collaborations and international residencies. Over the past two years, it has supported projects across six countries: the UK, India, Taiwan, Nigeria, the USA and Germany.

As Project Manager, Magdalena leads the delivery of the programme globally, working closely with local partners to bring their community-led projects to life. She also produces storytelling content that shares these communities and their work with a global audience.

In 2026, the programme returns to India for a week-long residency at Oddbird Theatre in Delhi, from 1–6 December. Bringing together local collectives, artists and organisers, the residency will create space for new ideas, collaborations and projects rooted in Delhi’s independent music scene.

Berlin’s Creative Underground: 90mil & the Power of DIY

We headed to Berlin with Studio Monkey Shoulder for Is That All There Is? – a weekend long celebration of 90mil – a DIY music venue that transformed a derelict building into a hub for community, creativity and Berlin’s counter-cultural scene.

Watch this video to discover their journey, learn why spaces like 90mil are vital in supporting diverse music communities, and to find out whether that really is… all there is?

From Roots to Rhythm: Taiwan’s indigenous sounds reimagined with Flavor Hualien

We travelled into the mountains of Hualien in far east Taiwan with Studio Monkey Shoulder to join Flavor Hualien and producers from across the country to immerse themselves in the local culture of the Indigenous Truku people.

In a programme curated by founder Shane, we explored the traditions of their music heritage, sampled local sounds and jammed with 404 beat samplers to create EASTSIDE SAMPLES – an upcoming compilation of tracks made by the producers that blends indigenous sounds with contemporary hip hop beats.

Take a look to see how Shane’s mission to educate and connect people with Taiwan’s roots, creating space for meaningful exchange – inspiring a new wave of Taiwanese sounds, preserving the culture and reconnecting future generations with their heritage.

Amplifying Belfast’s Underground: Community Radio as a unifying force with Neighbourhood Belfast

Belfast’s underground music scene is full of talent but it doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves. Neighbourhood Belfast is on a mission to build a meaningful platform in the city with a pop-up community radio experiment.

In collaboration with Studio Monkey Shoulder, founder Andy invested in the gear he needed and organised three pop-up broadcasts across the city, guided by music journalist Emma Warren and curated by leading local voices Marion Hawkes, Kwame Daniels and Timmy Stewart.

Each show took over a unique space in the city and celebrated the diverse sounds and communities shaping Belfast’s music scene.

Inside Lagos’ Mainland Rave Scene: Building Community with Mainland House

So much of Lagos' party scene takes place on the Island – but across the bridge, the Mainland is bursting with creative energy and underground collective Mainland House is right at the heart of it, building their own community around Lagos’ electronic dance music scene.

Through initiatives like SEE DJs, they’re nurturing fresh talent and creating platforms that spotlight rising artists and the city’s distinctive electronic sound.

In October, in collaboration with Studio Monkey Shoulder, they hosted SEE THE SOUND – a landmark event at KOGA Studios in Ikeja that levelled up everything they’ve been building.

Electronic Meets Folk: A Global Collaboration Empowering India's Women Artists with Sound of Women

Mumbai-based rapper Krantinaari is amplifying women folk artists across India through her Sound of Women project with Charu Hariharan. They travel to communities where women’s voices are often unheard and where a career in music once felt impossible.

With Studio Monkey Shoulder, Kranti journeyed through Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on a mobile studio bus, living with these communities and recording samples for FolkSoul - a compilation inviting producers worldwide to reinterpret traditional folk samples through contemporary sounds.

Watch this video to follow Kranti’s journey and see the impact Sound of Women is having both locally and globally.

Inside India's Sound System Movement: BFR's Epic Journey from Delhi to the Jungles of Assam

Delhi Sultanate of Bass Foundation Roots Sound System took us on a journey in his iconic red van across India, from the bustling streets of New Delhi to the remote indigenous tribal villages in the jungles of Assam, building new communities along the way.

After a quick stop at the AQI festival with Warehouse Mix and Gilles Peterson in the valleys 2 hours outside Delhi, we headed for the Big Bang Festival of Love. This intimate music and culture gathering celebrated the power of reggae sound system culture, showcased indigenous folk music and performance and celebrated the rich cultural traditions and beauty of the land with the local community.