JUBILANT steel pan musicians have found a new rehearsal studio more than two years after being thrown out of their previous home.

Members of Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra (RASPO) were forced to leave their former practice suite, above the Abbey Gateway, in February 2010 when the building was sealed off for emergency structural repairs, meaning they had to rehearse in temporary accommodation.

But the group has struck a deal with art collective Jelly to rehearse in the newly developed Jelly Sound House at the former Club Manakoo in Station Hill.

The group celebrated on Thursday - a week after moving in - by inviting families to try out their instruments at music workshops run as part of Reading Children's Festival.

Orchestra director Mary Genis thanked Jelly and hailed the new venue as "perfect". She added: "It offers us somewhere where we can keep all our instruments and have up to 50 people practising together, which we couldn't have before. We are set up on the dance floor and parents can watch from the raised balcony. The sound is fantastic because it's a low ceiling."

Jelly is leasing the space from developers Stanhope who are behind the multi-million pound project to redevelop Station Hill with modern offices, apartments and shops.

Jelly director Suzanne Stallard estimates they will be able to use the studio for at least a year before building work starts and is inviting other local musicians and performers to practice there.

She said: "It's really great to be able to work with RASPO and we are looking forward to more people working with us on projects here."

RASPO practices there from 5pm on Tuesdays. Contact 0797 325 1919 or see www.culturemixarts.co.uk

To inquire about rehearsing at the Jelly Sound House email suzanne@jelly.org.uk or see www.jelly.org.uk