Free project to help budding musicians get ‘stage-ready’
If you’re aged 12 to 19 and love to ‘jam’ but you’re not sure how to take your talents to the next level, then look no further.
Tamworth Jam is an exciting new project to help budding musicians develop their song writing, musicianship, performance and promotion skills before taking their music onto the streets and ‘unusual spaces’ of Tamworth.
The six-month project will see young musicians being invited to attend a series of weekly workshops with a team of highly experienced and professional mentors. They will then be able to put the theory into practise with opportunities to perform throughout the town centre and in a variety of exciting and unusual spaces.
Tamworth Jam is part of the ‘Music Outside’ element of the major new two-year Art in Unusual Spaces project which is designed to create and nurture new performers and audiences, ready for when Tamworth Assembly Rooms reopens after major refurbishment work.
For this element of the project, the Arts & Events team has joined forces with Staffordshire’s number one music charity, Make Some Noise, which aims to create quality opportunities for young people to develop their musical abilities.
Budding young performers can secure one of the limited places on Tamworth Jam by submitting a short video clip of their best performance to the team before November 4.
Successful applicants will attend weekly sessions with music professionals who will share their expertise and top tips for success across all elements of their performance, from musicianship itself to preparing for and promoting a gig.
Workshops will be led by Chris Watt, who is one of the longest serving music leaders with Make Some Noise. Chris has a wealth of experience in the community music sector and on the professional circuit, gigging both as a solo artist and with Stafford band The Cartoon Kings and the internationally known Genesis tribute band The Carpet Crawlers.
At the end of the six months, participants will be invited to share what they have learned on a public platform. Performance opportunities will include new busking spots, which are currently being identified as part of a new busking policy for Tamworth town centre, the Castle Grounds’ Bandstand and other unique and unusual venues.
John Simmonds, Programme Development Officer for Make Some Noise, said: “Music inspires young people and many relate to the world through their music. There are many talented young musicians out there and we look forward to welcoming anyone who might be interested to come along to learn something new, or simply to meet other young people who share an interest in making music.”
A previous Make Some Noise project in Tamworth called Positive Labels, delivered in conjunction with the Arts & Events team, aided the musical and professional development of a number of young local performers who now seek their own opportunities to perform, including at a regular open mic night at Tamworth’s Odeon cinema.
Cllr Joy Goodall, Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Environment & Culture, said: “We know there is lots of untapped talent in Tamworth and this project is about identifying that next generation of musicians and helping them to gain the skills and confidence needed to be able to perform in public.
“As Tamworth Assembly Rooms is going to be closed for some time, Art in Unusual Spaces is all about looking at how we can continue to provide opportunities for people to perform and watch the arts in the meantime. This will involve taking art in all its forms out into the community.
“This element of Music Outside will focus on creating and nurturing a thriving new music scene full of talented performers who will then be able to use the fantastic facilities that will be on offer at the new-look Tamworth Assembly Rooms.”
If you feel you have what it takes to be a part of Tamworth Jam, please send your short video link to tarartsdevelopent@tamworth.gov.uk. It should feature a performance, plus information about yourself and why you would like to be selected for the programme. Covers and original music are welcome. All videos must be submitted by November 4.
Art in Unusual Spaces has been made possible after Tamworth Borough Council’s Arts & Events team won £68,000 in funding from Arts Council England – the third significant grant to be secured by the team in recent years. Funding is being matched by Tamworth Borough Council and the local community.
As well as Music Outside, the project will feature a wide variety of exciting and never-before-seen initiatives for Tamworth, including a striking new sculpture for the town centre, bus shelter art, a big draw, a massive community mosaic, theatre in new community locations, a film depicting a day in the life of Tamworth and an original WW1 commemorative song performed by local choirs.
