The new arts venue in Stoke Newington’s restored Savoy Cinema has raised more than £31,000 to pay for a new music studio in the basement.

Earth needed £26,000 to hit its target, meaning the joint project with East End charity Community Music will soon be up and running.

The not-for-profit studio will help hundreds of youngsters – primarily those who are socially excluded – by training them in music and preparing them for education or employment. It was aided by 24-hour match funding from Hackney Downs start-up Ticket Tailor.

Earth owner Auro Foxcroft, who also runs Shoreditch’s Village Underground, said he was delighted with the fundraiser and hopes the studios – currently derelict and flooded – would be ready next month.

Meanwhile, the new venue has gone down well with gig goers, and some big name additions have been added to the line-up.

“The artists have been loving it,” Auro told the Gazette. “We’ve got lots of big names coming up who should be playing places like Brixton but want to do smaller shows here.”

Artists set to appear over the next few months include Jarvis Cocker’s new project Jarv-Is, Stephen Malkmus and the Jhicks, Craig Charles, Erol Alkan and Fatoumata Diawara.

The artists have also been enjoying getting to grips with the new L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology from L-Acoustics, the first system of its kind in the UK.

“It opens a whole palette of creative opportunities that have never been had before,” Auro added. “And it’s for artists to come in and use it as they want. It’s like giving a graphic designer three new colours to work with.”

The cafe and lounge area, formerly pool bar Efes, is also expected to open next month.