British Urban Collective - 1st press release

British Urban Collective – Acclaimed youth music project launches nationwide for 2008/09

“Its not often that well meaning community projects produce genuinely compelling results, but Urban Collective is a noble exception” IDJ Magazine

The acclaimed Urban Collective youth music project, that turns inner city kids into rising stars of
the British music industry, has secured funding, through Execution Charitable Trust, to launch nationwide as British Urban Collective (www.britishurbancollective.com), starting in Manchester, Belfast, Glasgow, Hull and east London:

Auditions: Working exclusively in some of the most deprived areas of Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Hull and east London, the British Urban Collective project will hold open auditions and choose 20-30 aspiring artists and producers per city.

Training: Each Collective will complete an intensive week of training, in vocal, performance, audio production and campaign management, conducted by professionals in the music business Most recently, British singer songwriter Sam Brown has joined the project as vocal coach.

Recording: Training complete, the Collective are then empowered to write, record and promote their own British Urban Collective album for an independent release under the expert guidance of Freeport Records and guest producers and artists.

Release: The best three (3) tracks from each city, voted for by a panel of artists, producers and A&R executives, will be pressed on to a final CD release and showcased live in London to mark the album’s launch, while all other tracks will be released as digital downloads by Freeport Records and Universal Music UK and supported by local city showcases.

Legacy: British Urban Collective will also build a start-up recording studio in each city and train up several local aspiring producers in Logic, providing ongoing opportunities for the creative community to develop and grow.

Harry Leckstein, founder of Urban Collective, said: “In the past four years the Urban Collective project has helped more than two hundred young people across London. Now we have the chance to work across the UK and I’m very excited to work with all the young people out there who are determined to become the new pioneers of our industry”.

Previous London Urban Collective students who have broken into the industry include Johnny “Itch” Fox whose band, The King Blues, recently signed their second album deal with Island Records imprint Field Recordings and have toured with Gogol Bordello and Hard-Fi; and Lady Lykez who traveled to Atlanta with London Urban Collective III, wrote and recorded with Malachi of The Dungeon Family, and will support Method Man in the UK this Spring.

For more information and interviews please contact:
Duff Batty, Duff Press + 44 7904 385 308 duff@duffpress.co.uk
Harry Leckstein, Freeport +44 7796 950 406 harry@freeportrecords.com

Additional information for editors:

About Freeport
www.freeportrecords.com
Freeport is an artist management company and independent record label that also creates unique practical youth music projects for local and national government. Founded by Harry Leckstein, Freeport represents Pink Punk, Lady Lykez and Luminous Frenzy while previous projects include London Urban Collective, Get Scene Get Heard, Short Cuts and Rewind!.

About Execution Charitable Trust
www.executioncharitabletrust.org
Execution Ltd has developed a philanthropic programme to tackle poverty and disadvantage in the UK. To achieve this, in July 2003 the firm formed the Execution Charitable Trust (ECT). Funding for ECT is generated through Execution Ltd’s annual charity trading days through which the gross commissions earned by Execution Ltd are given to ECT.

About Make Your Mark!
www.makeyourmark.org.uk
Make Your Mark is the national campaign to create an enterprise culture among young people in the UK. The campaign is backed by an unprecedented coalition of business, charities, education bodies and government – it’s unique in being young-people focused, business-led and government-backed. It is funded by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

About New Deal for Musicians
The New Deal for Musicians (NDfM) was introduced to enable unemployed musicians, who are eligible for either the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds or New Deal 25+ programmes, to pursue a career in the music industry.

About The Prince’s Trust
www.princes-trust.org.uk
The Prince’s Trust is a UK charity that helps young people overcome barriers and get their lives working. Through practical support including training, mentoring and financial assistance, we help 14-30 year olds realise their potential and transform their lives. We focus our efforts on those who’ve struggled at school, been in care, been in trouble with the law, or are long-term unemployed.

About Community Channel
www.communitychannel.org
Community Channel is the only TV station totally dedicated to highlighting issues from both local and international communities as well as the voluntary and charitable sectors. Community Channel is owned by The Media Trust, a charity that works in partnership with the media industry to build effective communications for the charity and voluntary sectors.

Regional project partners:

The Warren, Hull
The Warren is a unique project working mainly with 16-25 year olds. It’s main emphasis is in supporting young people to take control over their own lives, fulfil their potential and get involved in their society as active citizens. The Warren, which opened in 1982, has a long history of arts and music and the partnership with BUC will offer terrific opportunities for young people in
Hull to develop their music skills and possibilities.

United Estates of Wythenshawe (UEW), Manchester
The United Estates of Wythenshawe (UEW), Manchester, was established in 1996 by a group of local people who were concerned about the lack of social and recreational facilities in the community. UEW secured a vandalised Chapel to house the charity’s activities and transformed it into a vibrant community facility which includes a gym, a crèche, and a community café. In addition to offering a range of recreational activities, the charity also assists local people create enterprises, helping to secure jobs and new facilities for local residents.

Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse (FARE), Easterhouse, Glasgow
FARE is a grassroots charity operating in Easterhouse, near Glasgow. It was established in 1989 in response to the lack of support and opportunities in the local community, especially for young people. It improves life on the estate by offering activities that improve people aspirations, enhance peoples standards of living, and tackle territorialism and related violence. The charity uses youth clubs, sport and art activities, holidays and adult mentors to engage with children and young people.

Corner House Cross Community Family Centre, Belfast
Located on a Protestant and Catholic interface, with entrances on both sides of the peace wall, Corner House helps improve the well-being of over 9,000 children, young people and women each year. Key activities include a crèche, an after-school programme and youth activities that enhance people’s self-confidence and aspirations. The charity’s educational programmes improve people’s job prospects and women’s activities such as stress management and craftwork tackle isolation.

Windsor Women’s Centre, Belfast
Windsor Women’s Centre gives women and their families from Catholic and Protestant communities in Belfast the skills and support to transform their situations. Through education and training programmes the self-confidence of women is improved as are their employment prospects.

www.britishurbancollective.com