LIMF Academy

LIMF Academy in association with Virgin Trains. Liverpool town hall 22.09.13

To mark the conclusion of the Liverpool International Music Festival, Virgin trains, the headline sponsor of the LIMF academy offered a full day of activities for young people aged 16-25 to get involved with. The day offered workshops, Get to know panels, and a rare, exciting opportunity to sit in on a fly on the wall interview with Steve Levine; Grammy and Brit-award winning record producer. (See later Blog post)

The setting for the day was magnificent and Liverpool town hall proved an elegant and sophisticated environment to host the finale of the festival. I sat in on each of the Get to know you panels. It is such a shame that the sessions were so poorly attended, a travesty that the city of Liverpool offered such an amazing opportunity to listen to industry leaders yet it was so under subscribed. I'm not sure whether this was attributable to a lack of promotion or lack of interest from the city's youth. I am hoping it was the former.

BBC Radio 1's DJ Dev hosted each of the panel sessions which took place in the grandeur of the main ballroom where gigantic chandeliers illuminated the space. As someone who has been at the forefront of youth broadcasting for over a decade, Dev proved a credible and suitable host and he certainly demonstrated his versatility. He was the ideal host and asked relevant questions of each panel member. Due to his personable and articulate nature, he engaged with the panel and audience alike. He was the ideal choice.
The panels included:

•  "Be the best you can be"
• "Zines, Blogs, TV and Radio"
• Get me heard"
• Life of the party"

In "Be the best you can be", Liverpool's own singer- songwriter Chelcee Grimes admonished the audience to work on their craft and get their songs right. 

Jennifer John - artistic director of Sense Of Sound shared her 21 years of experience, explaining that the part of her job that excites her is seeing artists flourish. She enjoys helping people find out what their aspirations are and helping them be the best they can be. 

"Zines, Blogs, TV and Radio", delegates were given tips on how to succeed within the media and entertainment industry. Valentina Etaghene -Editor of MOBO.com emphasised the importance that networking plays on gaining entry into your field of interest. "It's not about begging friendships. Instead, research that person that you want to connect with and find out their interests"

Peter Guy - Founder of GetIntoThis & the GIT award said that it's about perseverance and showing your passion and knowledge to the people you are approaching and wish to impress.

Ray Paul - creative director of the Playmaker group shared tips for success. First and foremost, you need a plan. In addition the key to people management:Manage expectations. Be realistic and have mutual trust.

"Get me heard" allowed the panel members to share tips on how to go from being an unknown to a known on the city and nations forms of media.

"Life of the party" saw some of the most successful promoters and event managers disseminate nuggets of wisdom to their listeners. 

Marc Jones - director of the student club night "Medication" held at Cream night club shared his experiences. He said it is vital to "identify your passion. Ask yourself; Can I turn this into a full time job? What & where are the gaps in the market?" Using a train analogy to emphasise the importance of siezing opportunities, he explained that if a train comes into the station, jump on it!

Paul Duhaney - Director of Africa Oye shared the occurrences that would mark  a day in his life. When asked by Dev "what would you tell your 16 year old self?" he responded:Be prepared.Do your research. Think about money & Budget available. Evaluate risk. Think about promotion and how you plan to market your event. 

Yaw Owusu, music curator of LIMF was seen observing the workshops and panel discussions.  When asked about his vision for the festival, he explained that "the legacy and youth element was a very important factor"
The evening concluded with performances from up & coming artists from Merseyside.
Well done Liverpool Music festival for a fantastic three weeks of great music and opportunities for it's young people to seek inspiration and leave a legacy.