London Calling

Yup! We had to choose a picture of Koko Kaina a.k.a Zee Avi at our inaugural neue Bijou, way back at Jeumpa D'ramo in April 2008. :op

Anyways ...

British Council is looking for that outstanding individual making ripples in the Malaysian music industry to send to the UK and take part in an international competition with the ultimate goal of being selected as the International Young Music Entrepreneur (IYME).

Open to music entrepreneurs aged between 25 and 35, IYME recognises extraordinary achievement and potential of young creative entrepreneurs working in the music industry.

The IYME 2009 Prize
The national winner will travel to the UK in May 2009 to take part in a two week tour of the UK music industry. This will include visits, meetings, and gigs in London, Brighton and Manchester, The Great Escape music industry conference and festival and a showcasing event to promote their national music scene.

The IYME 2009 winner will be announced at an awards ceremony during the UK visit. The prize will consist of a financial award of £7,500, which will be linked to the UK and tailored to the winner’s specific needs. The winner of IYME is decided based upon a presentation made by each candidate to an elite judging panel from the UK music industry.

Have you got what it takes?
Candidates must already be active professionally in the local music sector, as defined below:

Music sector definition
+ Record companies; Artists & Repertoire (A&R); producing, recording, engineering; music licensing, and distribution
+ Venue and/or festival programming and management
+ Artists management and agents
+ Music broadcasting
+ Music journalism and publishing
+ Music development & management
+ Music marketing; public and media relations
+ Music retail; online (including digital) and high street outlets

We recognise that a participant may be active as a musician or DJ, however their work as an artist should be secondary to their focus as an entrepreneur in the promotion of music in their country. Musical talent/output will not be factored into the judging procedure – finalists will be judged solely on the merit of their entrepreneurial abilities in the music business.

Eligibility
A participant must:
+ Be aged between 25 and 35
+ Already work in the music sector (as defined above) with at least 3 years experience
+ Be entrepreneurial and have shown their ability and innovative approach to the promotion of music in their country, particularly in a commercial context
+ Through their character, drive and abilities demonstrate their potential to be a future leader of the sector in their country
+ Have a reasonable command of the English language

Selection of winning candidate
A panel of judges comprising leading figures in the local music industry will interview short-listed candidates, selected on the strength of their applications, to identify the best Young Music Entrepreneur from Malaysia.

Successful candidates will have a passion for their creative sector; display originality and confidence in their work, and an entrepreneurial drive to succeed in their field; they will be risk-takers and forward-thinking leaders, striving to make a difference in their field and for the local music industry.

Take note, it’s not about how much money you’ve made in the music business, but about having a wider understanding of the potential in this market and what your role could be in building it. Candidates will be judged both on the evidence of their existing entrepreneurial skills and their potential to be an agent of change.

What do you need to do?

Applicants need to fill out an application form (72 KB), and submit this along with any supporting evidence of your relevant achievements to:

IYME 2009
c/o Arts Team
British Council
Ground Floor, West Block
Wisma Selangor Dredging
142C, Jalan Ampang
50450, Kuala Lumpur

or email your application to arts@britishcouncil.org.my

Closing date: Wednesday 18 February 2009

For further queries, send us an email at arts@britishcouncil.org.my or call 03 2723 7931 or 03 2723 7988.

Don't repeat our mistake last year, of not participating in British Council's gig when invited. (macam boleh menang but yeah) :op

If you’re passionate about the music industry, step up! Go for it! ;o)

... and good luck! :o)

xoxo