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Bright Future Prize winner launches youth-led music festival

Since 2021, ACT has hosted the Bright Future Prize – a dedicated initiative supporting inspirational young people on a mission to make a difference.

To date, the prize has invested £250,000 in 59 community leaders of the future – who together represent nine countries across the globe.

A winner of the 2025 edition of Bright Future Prize, Jarvis Rohr impressed with his determination to elevate young people with creative ambitions from in and around his hometown of Torquay and the wider Torbay area in Devon, UK.

With the prize funding of £10,000, Jarvis set about turning his bright idea for a youth music festival into a reality – and which came to fruition just a year later when Tor-VYBZ Festival took over the Torquay seafront on 18 July for a whole day of performances by young musicians.

Meaning behind the music

Over the past few years, Jarvis, 21, has worked closely with Sound Communities CIC – a charitable organisation in Torbay which harnesses music and creativity to give local young people a means to develop skills and confidence, many of whom have struggled with mental health, school, or addiction.

A rapper himself (aka J-Reflection), Jarvis has been pivotal in many of the charity’s youth initiatives – from its very own record label to career development in the music scene – and has experienced how music has helped him through periods of challenge.

Tor-VYBZ Festival was inspired by a complete lack of creative opportunities. As planning the festival progressed, I noticed how many more opportunities we can give to young people in a place like Torbay. Being part of Bright Future Prize has opened up my horizons and made me realise people are willing to invest in your vision and also believe in your vision. It means the world!
Jarvis Rohr
Jarvis on stage at Tor-VYBZ

The idea of Tor-VYBZ Festival was the next big step, with Jarvis aiming to establish an annual festival and the first of its kind in the area.

A truly grassroots event, every aspect of planning Tor-VYBZ was led by Jarvis and a collective of over 40 young people, from the performances to the event management.

Being the videographer for Tor-VYBZ was a great opportunity for me that strengthened my confidence in event videography and increased my confidence with speaking and interacting with the public. This festival has opened so many new opportunities in the music media industry for me.
Young person who worked as a videographer at the festival

Tor-VYBZ provides an incredible opportunity to platform local and emerging artists, from within Sound Communities and beyond, as well as providing the chance for ‘behind the scenes’ roles from sound engineering to promotion and technical operations.

The festival is more than its performances; it’s also a means for young people to be seen, be heard, and take their first steps in the industry, whether that’s at the mic or backstage. 

Being able to perform at Tor-VYBZ honestly felt like a breath of fresh air in a way because not only is it generally difficult to get bookings as a DJ, but there's also not much available in or around the bay, so being given an opportunity to do what I love and showcase my skills as an upcoming artist in Torbay was a super cool experience!
Young performer at Tor-VYBZ festival

Onward and upward

2026’s successful festival is just the start, and now Jarvis is set on extending the ripple effect of Tor-VYBZ to create long-lasting impact.

As part of the fifth anniversary of Bright Future Prize in 2026, Jarvis secured an additional pot of funding from ACT which will go toward his ‘Creative Pathways Blueprint’, which will provide a framework to extend the festival itself into a year-round programme to develop young people with dreams of working in the world of music.

Alongside making the event itself an annual showcase, spinning out from it will be a long-term suite of mentorship, skills development, career support and music production opportunities which members of Sound Communities and beyond can get involved in. 

The festival welcomed everyone from across the community to experience new and emerging young musicians.
The event took place on Torquay's seafront with huge success.
Young artists from Sound Communities and beyond took to the stage.
Just the start, the event is set to become an annual affair.

Bright Future Prize will be back

Bright Future Prize will return in 2027, when once again ACT will open for applications from young people with bright ideas to lead positive change.

Learn more about Bright Future Prize on the ACT website, including the 2026 winners, plus explore the stories and projects of Bright Future Prize alumni since 2021.

Follow ACT on Instagram and Facebook @ardonaghct

Contact the ACT team using info@ardonaghtrust.org

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