Festival call out for Singer Songwriters
The Salisbury International Arts Festival is issuing a call out to aspiring songwriters and musicians aged 14-18 years old: in a project ‘powered’ by Youth Music and run for the Festival by Colin Holton from Salisbury Live.
Colin Holton says of the project: It’s very exciting to have been awarded funding from Youth Music and to be working with the Festival and Wiltshire youth service partners in this way. This Singer Songwriter Project will reach out to a wide range of young people from across Wiltshire, and we’ll be led by what they want to do. They’ll get the chance to record and to showcase their work at a high profile venue, helping to open up new audiences for Salisbury Live 15+ events. The project will also provide training for emerging musicians to develop their community music skills and will offer special opportunities to work with recognised industry professionals.
If you’re a songwriter who doesn’t play an instrument come along and get your songs played by a band, experiment with new ideas and inspiration. If you’re a musician but don’t write your own songs come along, learn some new skills, or join a band and play other people’s work and if your are a DJ or a rapper come along and make new connections.
Vikram Seth’s poem Earth will be used as an inspirational starting point, to tie in with this year’s Festival themes of chalk, earth and stone. This will be a great chance to experiment and get creative with song writing and music-making, whatever your experience or musical interests.
Participants should attend at least one intensive training week (details below) and both the weekend courses in order to take part in a performance during the Festival at City Hall 2 and in final recording sessions.
Week-long music courses:
15 -19 February at Bass Connection, Salisbury (10am to 4pm)
5 - 9 April at The Shak, Pewsey (10am to 4pm)
12 -19 April at Bass Connection, Salisbury (10am to 4pm)
2 weekend courses:
24 & 25 April, 15 & 16 May at Bass Connection, Salisbury (you must attend these to take part in the final performance)
Performance on 23 May at City Hall 2, Salisbury, as part of Salisbury Live on the opening Festival weekend
Final recording sessions in week beginning 31 May
To book a place or for more information, contact Gill Roberts at gill@salisburyfestival.co.uk or 01722 335298
Notes to editors
For further information please contact Rosa Corbishley on 01722 33 22 41 or email rosa@salisburyfestival.co.uk
Festival Singer Songwriter Project
Powered [term specified by Youth Music] by £25k grant from Youth Music, aiming to reach up to 200 young people across the area. Project led by Colin Holton, director of Salisbury Live.
Each intensive week will offer a range of musical styles and inspirations and include informal performances and sharing.
Wiltshire College music students will be assisting on the project. They will also be running taster workshops in January in schools in Salisbury, Pewsey and Amesbury. [photo opps 27 Jan Pewsey Vale, 28 Jan Salisbury High]
Youth Music is one of the National Lottery’s great success stories – a charity established in 1999 with a remit to support music-making activities for some of the UK’s most disadvantaged young people. In just ten years Youth Music has transformed the landscape of musical opportunity in the UK supporting music-making activities of the broadest variety imaginable; from hip-hop and dj-ing to classical and jazz.
Youth Music has now reached over 2 million children and young people, encouraging their talents, building their confidence and changing their lives through the power of music. Although Youth Music has this unprecedented track record in effecting positive change in young people through music, there is still much more work to be done. Youth Music aspires to reach out to ever increasing numbers of young people across the country. The vision is to create a sustainable environment to channel young peoples’ creativity, enabling them to express themselves and develop their skills through music.