We’ve got a guest post for you today from You Press, a London-based social enterprise. You Press is here to tell you all about their new Accredited Artist Development Programme for aspiring musicians between the ages 16-25 years old! Applications for the second round of the programme close 31st January 2019…
From August to December 2018, You Press delivered an artist development programme called ‘The Collective’ which helped 15 young aspiring musicians (aged 16-25 years old) get the most out of their talent.
The Collective focuses on young people who face barriers in accessing diverse music-making opportunities due to where they live around the country.
Our 15-week programme consists of training the artists in all aspects of music including lyric writing, music production, vocal training, confidence and performance techniques. Every Tuesday we held workshops led by our three incredible music leaders; Asabi Hawah, Raggo Zulu Rebel and Marianna Zappi. Each have a wealth of experience and specialise in different areas of music which include singing, song writing and performing.Every artist came with the objective of recording original pieces of socially conscious music and performing them live.
On Friday 7th December 2018, the artists got to perform live in front of an audience having acquired new knowledge to make them into complete musicians. The performance took place at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green, East London. All of the artists performed both group and solo pieces in front of an audience of almost 200! In the end, the first cohort of The Collective achieved their target as each artist registered an improvement in their soft skills assessment. These soft skills included Creativity, Story-telling, Listening, Communicating, Research, Patience, Emotional Management, Self-Esteem, Decision Making and Time Management. All are important in equipping young people with the tools for greater employability in future.
One of our artists, Sain, found the programme beneficial in changing the perception of young people perpetuated in the media.
“With all the negative attention that young people are currently receiving, it is a pleasure to see young people that we can be proud of.”
You Press’ support of the artists didn’t end with The Collective as many clients have contacted us to book them to perform at future events. This is a part of You Press’ artist management process which will see these young singers, rappers and producers continue to excel with their talent as freelance artists.
After the success of the Class of 2018, we’re looking forward to bringing 15 new artists, of any genre, on board this year.
How long is the programme?
The Artist Development Programme will be for 15 weeks between 19th February 2019 and 4th June 2019 (exact dates TBC). The training sessions will take place at Paddington Arts on every Tuesday from 6pm to 9pm. The programme is completely free with travel expenses being covered.
How do I apply?
Applications for the second round of our accredited artist development programme are now being accepting until the 31st January 2019. To apply visit: https://youpress.org.uk/the-collective/