THE Tang Hall Big Gig reclaims the former Burnholme Community College Assembly Hall in York for four hours of rock, pop, soul and rap on Saturday afternoon.

“This community show will see local people take to the stage in the first ever cross-generation pop gig in the 1950s-built hall,” says Sue Williamson, director of Tang Hall SMART Ltd, a social enterprise that will be deliver arts, technology sports activities and courses from September.

The 2pm to 6pmconcert features12 acts, whose performers span all ages from14 to 50-plus. Nearly all of them live, work or have been to school in the area.

The event is hosted by Tang Hall Rock School, the trail-blazing centrepiece of SMART, led by Sue, who taught music and English at Burnholme for 22 years.

“The Tang Hall Big Gig will be the symbolic launch of our programme of popular music activities for adults, teenagers and children in the community,” she says.

“The gig is also part of a national event, Our Big Gig, and there are 150 similar community music festivals taking part over the same weekend. Our event is supported by Superact, who organise Our Big Gig, Tang Hall Big Local and the Performing Right Society, and it’s a fantastic example of how, when communities work together, exciting things happen.”

Among the acts taking part from the Tang Hall area and Jodie and Josh, featuring Jodie Wortley, a 16-year-old former Burnholme pupil, who is a prolific songwriter and performer, and rapper, poet and lyricist Al Webo, aged 19.

Sue, a 50-year-old saxophonist, will be guesting in the band Special Measure.

“We’re representing older performers, showing there’s definitely no ceiling on the age of rock, and that music is for everyone,” she says. “Our line-up is made up of a head teacher, a doctor and other professionals from the community – and one of our songs is Middle Aged Blues.”

Sue fought to defend the doomed college from closure, but when it was decided the doors should close for good she opted to take redundancy rather than be redeployed to another teaching job in York.

She lives just around the corner in Hull Road, Tang Hall, and has become the first to launch a social enterprise project in her former workplace, using the music room as the hub for her school of rock.

“I’ll be hosting music classes on the site, catering for children with special needs, and putting on gigs,” she says.