The New Artist’s Scheme
The scheme started life as a conversation between our patron Hayley Savage and our MD Stephen Begley; they asked, ‘Why is it so difficult for a new player on the scene to get an engagement?’ We discussed several issues that might make it difficult for a new artist to get bookings, including:
› New artists often have a solid concert repertoire by the time they are ready for public concerts but they can have a limited concert history, and very little in the way of what might be called "celebrity pulling power".
› Promoters are typically averse to taking risks and prefer instead, to take on artists with a proven track record.
› New artists often find themselves in a catch 22 situation: unable to get the gigs because they don’t have the experience, unable to get the experience because they can’t get the gigs!
At the outset, we designed the scheme for portability. For anyone who is interested, we have written a guide that discusses the legal issues and contains information on resources and on setting your organisation up as a promoting group. If you would like to know more about this, please contact » Stephen.
It is worth noting that the NAS contract is not meant to undermine the traditional contracts for “fully-fledged” professional artists, or to ”improve” on established career building support as provided by the majority of institutions and academies; the New Artist’s Scheme is designed to play a complementary role with practical support during the early stages of a performer’s career.
New Art, New Artists
From the left: Christopher Stell, Hayley Savage, Stephen Begley, Mark Eden.
Development got under way with the identification of what the scheme was about and who it was for. Here at the WCGS we champion the cause of new music and support innovative programme ideas. Partly because we get really excited by these things ourselves but also, because in an entirely pragmatic sense, we believe that new programming concepts generate new ideas, and new ideas attract new audiences.
The people with some of the best and brightest new ideas, are the new generation of players who are still in the process of making their own minds up about what a concert should be, and what a concert career should look like. Post-graduates of the guitar, just coming away from their studies, are well represented in this group.
Ironically, contrary to all the good work that “new generation type” schemes do for young people, they very often close the door of opportunity on players after a certain age, and players beyond their mid-twenties, can find it increasingly difficult to find a break. Here at the WCGS we don’t prescribe an upper age limit: any artist with a brand new programme, original in content or form, can come to us and we will consider them for the New Artist’s Scheme.
It goes without saying, all candidates should be superb musicians.
Supporting New Artists
‘The scheme is a fantastic idea. It can be very hard for new artists to
break into the professional world after their studies and the scheme offers invaluable practical support and advice for young professionals hoping to make a career from the guitar.’
The path to the stage is not always straight and while some people are instinctive natural performers taking to it immediately, others develop those skills through study over time. Everyone’s stage presence is in a state of flux at the start of their careers however, as they find their stride. Mark Eden effectively summed this up when he wrote:
"There were quite a few guitar societies which Chris and I played for when we were students, giving us an important moment when we performed away from the watchful eyes (and ears) of our teachers, and where we could be more like ourselves. Naturally we had lots of excellent performing experience at the RAM but perhaps we didn’t get the feeling of what it’s like to be yourself on stage and start to know and understand your own stage-personality."
Mark Eden: Eden Stell perform in support of New Artist’s Scheme at Worcester Classical Guitar Society
We listen to the artists and try to understand the qualities they already possess and the ideas that drive them. What we don’t do, is tell anyone what to play or how to play it! That would go against the principles of a scheme for new artists. Entrant level candidates are given the freedom to choose their own material and we encourage free thinking, but we can happily assist and advise on programming where appropriate.
Artists are offered advice and practical assistance in putting their promotional materials together, building programmes, and guidance in stage skills. Things a normal promoter would expect the artist to have prepared and ready to go as a matter of course. We make a point of asking audiences for feedback so that future promoters don’t need to just take our word on it. We offer a permanent web space in our own concert archive so that artists and acts (particularly those without a current site of their own) at least have a web presence that they can use for further promotions.
Artists are encouraged to consider their programmes as objects of art, artistic events with a discernable form and function; the result of a process shaped and driven by a clarity of vision and purpose. For this reason, concerts are catalogued with a unique identifying number.
Our duty of care extends beyond the concert; we have a vested interest in seeing all our artists succeed.
Looking ahead
When designing the scheme we had no idea if we might find enough artists to occupy the three annual slots we had reserved for them, but we have been surprised by the response and we now have a two year waiting list until the next available concert slots become available. We are very pleased by this positive response and can attribute it to several facts:
› Artists get the chance to perform
› It gives them a chance to hone their "real world" skills
› It gives them an opportunity to develop the kind of programme they find personally inspiring.
If you are interested in supporting the New Artist’s Scheme and would like to receive notice of up and coming concerts please follow the link to join our mailing list.
If you would just like to know more about the Scheme or you are an artist interested in participating then please contact » Stephen.