Projects

Oh Yeah Music Centre To Develop New Musicians  from “Scratch”

Oh Yeah has launched a unique talent development programme. ‘Scratch My Progress’ will offer four musical acts the chance to hothouse their talent across 2012, learning about the business of music plus the trades of performing and writing.

The chosen acts are: Katharine Philippa, Conor Brown, Everyday Superheroes and 20 Second Century. Three of these acts were chosen by the Oh Yeah team after a public call for submissions, while 20 Second Century was selected with the help of the Citybeat radio station and their ‘Next Big Thing’ initiative.

The acts will benefit from a professional photo shoot with Carrie Davenport and vocal lessons from Rachel Austin. They will take part in meetings with music industry lawyers and accountants, as well as sharing ideas in interactive songwriter sessions and planning a special Scratch event at Oh Yeah. There will also be mentoring help from a series of industry professionals, offering advice in marketing and PR.

The scheme is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Lloyds TSB Foundation, Citybeat and Invest Northern Ireland.

Rosa Solinas, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “Northern Ireland has produced a wealth of successful musicians over the years and this project is all about supporting the next generation of home-grown talent. By providing mentoring and performance opportunities, ‘Scratch My Progress’ will give local bands the support and experience they need to lift their skills to that vital next level.”

Sharon Polson from Invest NI said: “Oh Yeah’s talent development programme, Scratch My Progress has the potential to support many up and coming music entrepreneurs by providing them with the skills and experience needed to promote themselves and their music in a businesslike and professional manner. Northern Ireland’s creative sector has considerable export potential and the Oh Yeah Music Centre is making an important contribution towards growing and strengthening it.”

The Scratch concept was inspired by the work of Battersea Arts Centre in London, which pioneered the idea of a 'ladder of progress' using achievable steps and constant feedback. The project allows artists to test and develop their ideas “from scratch” with the audience, and each other.