On Friday 17th July 2026, Temple of Art & Music (TAM) and Rising Voices present the first edition of a new grassroots music initiative, bringing together 16 emerging artists, host and TAM fellow Gemma Schito, leading industry partners and music lovers for an evening supporting War Child UK.
Rising Voices is the latest in TAM’s Takeover Series—a programme through which the venue opens its stage to its fellows, encouraging them to curate and lead events of their own within TAM’s creative community and artist development environment.
It is also one of the final summer events before the venue closes its doors in December, making the evening’s message—established artists lifting up the next generation—all the more poignant.
But Rising Voices is much more than a charity concert.
Tickets for which are available here.
The project began when 15 year old Italian-born, London-based singer-songwriter Gemma Schito — a fellow of TAM’s Open Music Academy — was invited to support War Child UK.
She immediately embraced the charity’s mission, but quickly realised that the opportunity could become something bigger, not only for herself, but for many other young musicians trying to find their place within the industry.
Instead of simply performing, Gemma and her team set out to create a platform where opportunities could be shared — and brought it home to TAM, the venue where her own journey as an artist has taken shape.
They brought together artists they genuinely admire — many of whom Gemma first met through TAM’s stage, open mics and fellowship community — invited respected media partners to become involved, and built an event based on collaboration rather than competition.
Gemma explains how this came about “When Hot Vox invited me to perform in support of War Child UK, saying yes was easy. What I didn’t expect was that it would become the beginning of something much bigger. Rising Voices was born from a simple belief: when artists support each other instead of competing, everyone grows stronger.
TAM is where I found my community, my mentors and my confidence — so there was never any question about where this night belonged. If this event can help War Child UK while also giving other young artists new opportunities, then we’ve created something truly special.”
As a result, selected performers will also have the opportunity to be considered for interviews, editorial features and future media exposure through partners including Hoxton Radio, Music Crowns and The Next Wave UK, opportunities made possible through relationships that Gemma and her team have chosen to share with fellow emerging artists.
Rather than competing for the spotlight, Rising Voices celebrates what can happen when artists choose to grow together.
A home for the next generation – for one last summer
Rising Voices could hardly happen anywhere else.
Temple of Art & Music, the grassroots venue inside Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant & Castle, has become one of London’s most vibrant homes for emerging artists — a place where established musicians actively support the next generation through TOM (the Open Music Academy), its fellowship programme, and initiatives such as the Everywhere At Once festival.
Among TAM’s mentors is legendary British singer-songwriter Dana Gillespie, the venue’s Mentor in Residence, who has guided Gemma and other young performers over the past year.
Earlier this summer, Gemma gave the world-premiere live performance of Dana’s 1966 song ‘Foolish Seasons’ on the TAM stage — a sixty-year handover from one generation of songwriters to the next. Rising Voices is what happens when that handover keeps going: a fellow who was given a stage now giving one to sixteen others.
TAM will close in December 2026 as the site is redeveloped — part of a wave of pressure facing grassroots music venues across the UK. Rising Voices is both a celebration and a statement: these are the rooms where tomorrow’s talent is discovered and developed.
Great artists rarely begin in arenas. They begin in grassroots venues.
The evening will conclude with a collective performance of *We Are The World*, bringing together all participating artists in a powerful finale dedicated to War Child UK. The performance will be filmed on the TAM stage and shared across social media platforms as a message of hope, unity and solidarity.
What started as one young artist’s desire to support War Child UK has become something much bigger.
A night where charity meets opportunity.
Where experienced musicians inspire the next generation.
Where a grassroots music venue, in its final season, becomes a place for new friendships, new collaborations and new beginnings.
About Temple of Art & Music (TAM)
Temple of Art & Music is a grassroots music venue and artist development community at Mercato Metropolitano, 42 Newington Causeway, Elephant & Castle, London SE1. Through TOM (the Open Music Academy), its fellowship programme and its Takeover series, TAM pairs emerging artists with established mentors including Dana Gillespie. TAM’s closing season runs until December 2026, after which its academy, catalogue and community continue as a digital-first organisation
