Free project to help young musicians get ready for the stage
A free project designed to help young musicians take their talents to the next level will get underway in Tamworth soon – and there’s another chance for people to get involved.
Tamworth Jam is an exciting new project aimed at 12 to 19-year-olds who love to ‘jam’ but are not sure how to make the leap from their bedrooms into the limelight.
During a series of weekly workshops, the six-month project will see participants working with a team of highly experienced and professional mentors to develop their song writing, musicianship, performance and promoting skills.
They will then be able to put their new skills to the test with opportunities to perform throughout Tamworth 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 interested in taking part have another chance to apply by submitting a short video clip of their best performance to the team by January 12.
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.
“We’ve already got some talented individuals signed up to the project and we’ve decided to extend that further with a second call out to make sure that as many young performers as possible are given the opportunity to take part.
“This element of Music Outside is all about 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 when it reopens.”
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 January 12.
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 and a film depicting a day in the life of Tamworth.
