London's Southbank Centre has launched a new free education initiative, Emerging Music Professionals, alongside independent labels Ninja Tune and Big Dada.
The free-to-access scheme, supported by Lambeth Council’s ELEVATE Careers fund, the Southbank Centre, Ninja Tune and Big Dada, aims to develop the next generation of diverse producers, promoters and programmers in the music industry.
The scheme is open to 18-24 year olds living in Lambeth, and aims to support people from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the music industry.
The 10-month training programme includes a week-long intensive foundational course followed by eight monthly artist-led sessions. Participants on the course, who will be paid for their time at the London Living Wage rate in addition to expenses, will hear from record executives, artists, promoters, and programmers while undertaking an intensive foundation course learning about record label structures, A&R, signing artists, marketing and promotion, budgeting, venue and artist liaison, and an overview of the live music industry.
There will also be a strong interactive learning component to the course. Through practical workshops, participants will compile a toolkit to understand workflow and productivity and the different terminology, tools, and assets that are key to working in the industry. Finally, they will showcase their knowledge and work creatively as a group to produce and promote a digital-release compilation album, supported by Ninja Tune, and a live music event at the Southbank Centre.
Each participant will be partnered with an industry mentor to support their onward progression. These individuals will provide ongoing employability support to all involved as well as with help with building their networks across the business. Members of the Southbank Centre’s Creative Learning and Contemporary Music Programming teams will also provide one-to-one follow-up employability sessions post-programme to help participants identify and apply for jobs in the industry and further training opportunities, as well as making introductions to contacts in the live and recorded music sectors.
Mark Ball, artistic director of the Southbank Centre, said: “The Emerging Music Professionals programme will provide an incredible opportunity for young people who are looking to make their creative mark in the music industry but perhaps don’t see themselves represented in it. The expansive course, generously supported by ELEVATE, is testament to the incredible work of our Creative Learning and Contemporary Music Programming teams and, of course, the commitment to diversifying the talent pipeline by our industry partners, Ninja Tune and Big Dada.”
Applicants must be based in Lambeth. Applications are open via the Southbank Centre website and will close on 5pm, September 21, 2022.
