Take Five (Edition IV)
Following three extremely successful editions, The Jerwood Charitable Foundation and the PRS Foundation for new music (PRSF) are pleased to announce that international music producers Serious will produce the fourth edition of Take Five - a significant artist development scheme for emerging jazz musicians.
The Jerwood/PRS Foundation ‘Take Five’ Initiative is designed to give some of the UK’s most talented young jazz musicians the unique opportunity to take ‘time out’ to develop their craft. The scheme provides each artist with the special opportunity to discuss, explore and strengthen all aspects of their future careers. The eight creative jazz musicians selected this year are:
- Kirsty Almeida (Vocals/Manchester)
- Tom Cawley (Piano/London)
- Arun Ghosh (Clarinet/London)
- Gareth Lockrane (Flutes/London)
- Andrew McCormack (Piano/London)
- Chris Sharkey (Guitar/Leeds)
- Graeme Stephen (Guitar/Edinburgh)
- Dan Stern (Reeds/London)
‘With extraordinary musicians like these - exceedingly talented and driven to getting their work heard - the future of jazz in the UK is not only secure, it is rich.’ Roanne Dods, Director, Jerwood Charitable Foundation.
The Jerwood/PRS Foundation ‘Take Five’ Initiative will run from November 2007 to June 2008 and comprises a number of sessions under the collective areas of Talk Time, Learning Time, Focus Time, Time Out and Creative Time.
Previous participants in Take Five commented:
“It’s really given me a huge kick up the arse. I’ve decided this is what I’m going to do forever. Music is going to be the thing. Take Five has made me aware that through the frameworks that we’re being introduced to, there are ways. It gives you a bit of confidence. I’ll have a new vigour and a new determination with the music I’m writing now or the projects that I’m doing.” (Dave Kane, 2007)
“There’s education and support available for young people but at the time when people sometimes really need validation and support they don’t always get it and then the struggle begins again. The struggle never really stops. That’s something that people should bear in mind if we’re to create a culture where our musicians that we’ve invested in when they’re younger will manage to flourish when they’re older.” (Nikki Yeoh, 2007)
“We’ve been working on composition, we’ve learned about fundraising, we’ve learned about managing your career as a musician and how to deal with promoting your career as a musician. I think that all these concepts have affected me and benefited me greatly. I see no reason why in the future you won’t see much bigger and better things in my musical career.” (Abram Wilson, 2007)
Each artist will benefit from one-to-one sessions to identify their particular areas of interest and needs, as well as two residential periods exploring areas such as composition, studio technology, live producing and strategic direction. Take Five will also give participants access to mentoring and an opportunity to engage with those working in other art forms.
‘The Jerwood Charitable Foundation, PRS Foundation and Serious share the strong belief that investment in creative development is of paramount importance to artists reaching their full potential. In the UK there exists a community of exceptionally talented young jazz musicians and it is vital that they are fully aware of the abundance of opportunities available to them. Take Five aims both to stimulate creativity and raise aspirations by facilitating opportunities for artists to engage with their peers and to be challenged by the practices of others.’ Charlotte Ray, Director, PRS Foundation.
A panel of industry experts contributed to the selection process, taking into account the following considerations for each participant: creativity, future potential, style of music, range of influences, geography, cultural background and distinctive contribution to the community. The panel included representatives from Jerwood Charitable Foundation, PRS Foundation and Serious, as well as David Francis (CMN, London), Tom Bancroft (composer, educationalist, drummer and bandleader, Edinburgh), Steve Mead (Artistic Director, Manchester Jazz Festival) and Jason Yarde (composer, producer and saxophonist, London).
For further information please visit Serious and The Jerwood Charitable Foundation.