Meet the Without Borders Youth Band

Meet the Without Borders Youth Band—a vibrant community programme at Band on the Wall, bringing together young people aged 12–19 from Manchester’s diverse migrant and local communities.

Led by Bosnian singer-songwriter Sanja Govorčin and supported by Community Arts North West (CAN), this initiative is part of the NLHF-funded World of Song programme, celebrating the musical traditions of Greater Manchester’s new migrant communities, including those who have experienced displacement and forced migration. Each week, the band’s core group of eleven young musicians collaborate, experiment with different musical styles, and create original music inspired by their global heritages—ranging from Kurdish and Iranian-Syrian to Polish, Mexican-Pakistani, and Ukrainian backgrounds.

The project nurtures confidence, creativity, and cultural pride, offering opportunities for workshops, guest artist sessions, and even recording at Manchester’s Blueprint Studios. Without Borders is more than a band—it’s a supportive space where young people make friends, develop their musical talents, and share their stories through music, building bridges across cultures and communities.