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Insider Solutions
Case Studies 2004 - Oasis Youth Music Forum
The Oasis Youth Management Committee at the Oasis Youth Centre are setting up a project 'developing skills for the music industry', including developing their record company OYC Records. Utilizing the resources of the Oasis Youth Centre, the group wants to grow and provide training opportunities for young people interested in pursuing careers in the music industry.
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Meet, socialize, and participate OASIS Youth Centre offers an informal setting for young people to meet, socialize and participate in programmes and projects which will enable them to develop socially, emotionally, physically and mentally. To develop new skills and experience new opportunities. The 'Arts' is one of the main themes/ mediums running through these projects. How Oasis developed: lobbying the Council Formally a primary school in Dumfries, now the Oasis Youth Centre was an informal drop in venue for young people who set up their own management committee. When the venue was threatened with closure they campaigned against the move which culminated in the lobbying of a full Council meeting. The Leader of the Council rose to the challenge and made the commitment to support the young people in developing the resource. Some £300,000 was then spent on the redevelopment and resources for the building; it was relaunched as Oasis Youth Centre in 1999. How is it staffed and structured? Partnership between young people and Council The Management Committee (young people) of Oasis works in partnership with staff from Dumfries and Galloway Council. "The main way that it works is that the Council are responsible for maintaining the building, managing core staff and existing projects, and supporting the developments worked up by the Youth Management Committee". The core staff are Robert Sloan, Community Development Worker and Paul Chisholm, Music Development Worker. There are also 7 part time/ sessional youth workers, administration/care taking staff and a Duke of Edinburgh project worker. "The Management Committee steer the thinking on project development, new projects and add ons. They decide on ventures that they would like to raise money for and the core staff support the grant application development". The Music Forum is a sub-group of the Management Committee. Both Youth Forums meet once a month. Oasis now houses the following facilities:
Young people can use the Centre both as an informal drop in (at specific times) and to take part in structured projects, groups and strands of work. How the music facilities are used: booking and times The music room and recording facilities are booked up to a week in advance and are open from 4-10pm on weekdays. The cost for using the music room is £4 per hour. The cost for recording with technical support is £10 per hour. How did the music forum start? In 2001 £1,300 had been raised by Council staff to produce a CD and cover artwork. The money came from an organization called Groundbase and only covered production costs. The Youth Management Committee decided to set up a working group (the youth music forum) to facilitate creating a record company and the production of the CD. With advice from Paul Chisholm (Music Development Worker), and after registering with Phonographic performance Ltd. (PPL), OYC Records was born. A panel of young people selected 11 tracks to go on the CD according to a scoring system of marks out of five for e.g. musicianship, overall sound, overall strength of a song from existing masters. Each song had to be registered with The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society, MCPS, which is a legal trading requirement. The project ran from December 2001 to April 2002 when there was a CD launch specifically for young people. "It's a great opportunity for young people interested in a music career" There was a clear demand to develop a music project further demonstrated by the following events:
What were the Youth Music Forum's aims? To set up a Youth Music Forum looking at "developing skills for the music industry." To build on the good work already completed, with the development of the new record company and the release of their first CD. Utilizing the resources of the Oasis Youth Centre, the group wants to grow and provide training opportunities for young people interested in pursuing careers in the music industry.
"It's a chance to gain a greater understanding of the music industry" What was the project proposal? The project has three dimensions training opportunities, website and C.D.2 launch. The following project was proposed:
"The experience will help with future career directions" What are the community objectives?
The Forum were supported in putting in an application to the Community Regeneration Fund which was a fund set up to support regeneration after the foot and mouth crisis. The following budget was submitted in Sept 2002 for a yearlong project including training, a coordinator post, a website for the project, and the production and launch of a 2nd CD, Evolution 2. The project was put on the reserve list before being asked to resubmit their budget at 50% of the original. To do this they reduced the co-coordinator post to 120 hours of support and reduced the events budget to one launch rather than a series of showcase events.
The Youth Music Forum will have a separate bank account with specified signatories. "I gained knowledge of the funding application process."
It is hoped that the project will impact with:
"The increased knowledge and confidence could be useful in the future!" The project is to be evaluated according to the following: LEAP evaluation framework Register everyone participating in training Follow up survey of participants Monthly feedback/ meetings with Forum and training partners. What are the pitfalls and discoveries so far?
"Art work for the CD cover takes longer than you think!" Paul Chisholm re: the first Evolution CD There was also no publicity and marketing budget. The aim of the project was not to produce stars; it was to nurture young people?s development. However, one young musician has been talent spotted, offered a management contract and now has a music solicitor to ensure that his talent is developed with some protection and integrity. We should have asked people listening to the CD after it was created whether the CD works as a whole; possibly evaluating that side of things. What are the key issues for this type of project? Who are the main funders for this type of project? What measures can be taken to ensure development and sustainability? What is the best method of evaluating the quality of the project? What are the indicators for need and demand? Given the project's ethos - what is the best method of making initial contact with music industry professionals whilst still ensuring young peoples lead role? Robert Shields - "Right Thing" - mp3 format (click here) - to play, right click your mouse then select "save target as" to save on your computer Super-X and Persuazion - "Primal" - mp3 format (click here) - to play, right click your mouse then select "save target as" to save on your computer |
Young people: At the Oasis Youth Center (six on the Forum and four volunteers)
"The launch was a bit of a rush; we would spend more time, plan and prepare more thoroughly"