King hits the decks to try his hand at DJing in Manchester

The King was all smiles as he hit the decks to try his hand at DJing in Manchester.

Aspiring DJ Christian St Louis, 22, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, invited the King to take to the mixing desk on his visit.

King Charles met young people who have received support from the King's Trust charity as he toured Aviva Studios, home of the city's arts organisation Factory International.

As Mr St Louis showed the King how to hone his skills on the decks, he explained: "First, you load up the tracks and then play this one. There are so many buttons. Once you know what to do, it's easy."

The King moved to the music as one onlooker said: "It's not as easy as it looks, is it?"

Charles laughed and replied: "You just have to get the hang of it."

Mr St Louis, formerly from east London, told the King that taking a DJing course through the trust had been "more than helpful".

He said: "I always wanted to DJ. Now I know I can do it."

Mr St Louis said that he was looking for a job to save up and buy his own decks, with the goal of releasing an EP.

In 2024, the King's Trust joined forces with the Elba Hope Foundation, a public charity founded by actor and DJ Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina to launch Creative Futures.

The range of free courses is designed to inspire young people through the arts, building their skills and confidence to work in the creative industries.

Mr Elba was supported by the King's Trust, formerly the Prince's Trust, as a teenager.

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Creative Futures has helped more than 100 young people in Manchester and is now supporting young people in other parts of the UK.

The Factory Academy, launched in 2018 by Factory International, aims to provide accessible career pathways into the creative industries and boost creative skills across the region.

Charles unveiled a plaque to mark his visit, and was then treated to a performance outside by a choir from the Royal Northern College of Music.

On his next stop, Charles attended the launch of Circularity in Practice, a new initiative repurposing and reusing pre-loved items to reduce waste.

At the launch of the project at the Renew Hub on Trafford Park, run by waste and recycling firm Suez, the King handled a compression staple gun to finish off a French-style settee, reupholstered with fabric from London's Royal Opera House.

(c) Sky News 2026: King hits the decks to try his hand at DJing in Manchester