Yes, that’s right folks, for the first time in the history of the BBC Performing Arts Fund, we will be funding dance in 2011 via two brand new schemes – Community Dance and Dance Fellowships.



To celebrate this, we held a reception before the live recording of BBC One’s So You Think You Can Dance a few weeks ago where we caught up with dancer, choreographer and judge on the show, Arlene Phillips.

If anyone knows about how challenging and rewarding a discipline dance can be, it’s Arlene. Here’s what she had to say:



“Dance was always my dream, and I know for many people out there it is a dream for them too.



It takes hours of hard work and practise, but can also bring great joy and happiness into people's lives. As well as being a fantastic way to stay in shape, it also helps with coordination and focus.



Whether it’s your job for life or a hobby for fun, dance is accessible to all no matter what your age so find your nearest dance centre, gym or community centre and see what you can get involved in!”

The Community Dance scheme is now open for applications and Dance Fellowships will launch on the 7th June so check back for more information!



If you have any questions or comments on our plans for dance then please get in touch at performingartsfund@bbc.co.uk Alternatively you can join in the conversation on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Training in Musical Theatre winner Chris Theo Cook is now performing in the West End in hit show Les Miserables. He gives us an insight into the auditioning process and his advice on how to succeed.

“Talent isn’t going to be enough. To succeed, you will have to develop an Iron Will”



In the summer of 2007 when I sat in front of the auditioning panel for the BBC Performing Arts Fund and the above statement was said to me I honesty thought it sounded a little… dramatic. However, after a year’s intensive training and three years spent working in the industry – I can safely say that no wiser words were ever spoken!

The rewards of working in this industry are plentiful. We get to act, sing and dance for a living for a start, what could be better? It is no surprise that lots people want a stake in this fantastic industry. So as performers starting out in this fiercely competitive environment, where does that leave us?



As a performer you are expected to maintain all the basics: attend the auditions set up for you by your agent, keep yourself looking well and always be on time for auditions. I soon learnt that to build a career and to obtain regular work, a much bigger check-list would have to be ticked off! It is therefore a performer’s own responsibility to ensure that they are always one step ahead of the game.



With this in mind I have put together some tips and general ideas for new performers starting out in the industry on how to go the extra mile in an audition and hopefully, get the job!

Practice your repertoire

It’s not unbeknown to performers to receive a call informing us of a promising audition… in twenty-four hours time, sometimes even in just a few hours time! It is therefore essential to keep repertoire up-to-date, polished and ready to go. A practice (even just one hour a week) makes a huge difference, keeps songs in the voice and monologues in the body. It is also a great help to constantly be expanding repertoire to ensure you have all the different genres covered.



Keep yourself fit and your skills sharp



There’s nothing more frustrating than getting through several rounds of auditions for a job you really want then flunking out on a round where you are totally out of your comfort zone. It could be movement, dance, acting workshops or solo singing. If there is an area in your training that is struggling, help it out! Attend classes, say yes to as many projects as you can manage, and don’t be afraid to admit you need to work on certain skills.



Don’t depend on your agent



If you are currently working with an agent they may be able to get you a few auditions a week but bear in mind they have many other clients to look after. You should be looking for your own auditions as well as them. You can do this by sending headshots and CV’s to casting directors and theatres, requesting to be seen for specifics projects. Having a showreel online is another excellent way of advertising your skills and you can now post clips to your spotlight page too. Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites are also excellent ways of keeping in the loop on auditions.



Recalls



If you’re sent audition material for a recall try your very best to set about learning it as quickly as possible. Yes it can be frustrating if you find yourself being sent twelve scenes and thirteen songs, but ultimately the more material you know on the day, the more comfortable and confident you will feel when performing it. Also, constantly training your brain to absorb material is a very useful thing as an actor!



Do your research



If given the opportunity to read for a part, make sure you know everything you can about both the character and the production. Try spending a good hour thinking as that person, finding their physicality and mannerisms and their voice. Don’t be afraid to record yourself! Audio and video recordings are sometimes your best way of stepping out of what you’re doing and having a third person perspective on your performance. Also, share your performance with friends, family and other performers. The more you perform in front of others, the more ownership you can gain over the material.



Resilience



One of the most valuable skills you can learn as a performer is to be resilient. If an audition doesn’t go your way, the quicker you can pick yourself up, learn from it and get back into the next audition, the quicker you will find your next job! It also helps to have a realistic view of the industry and of the casting process. You may well be the best person that the audition panel has seen all month! That is… until the person after you walks in, then you might be the second best and it might mean you don’t get the job. But there is nothing you can do about it except keep your spirits high and feel positive that you’ve had a good audition.

Good luck!

Jon Webster, CEO of Music Managers Forum gives his thoughts on the role of managers in the 21st century music industry.



"Digitisation and the internet have led to an explosion of musical artists but there are currently not enough managers for all those artists. Whilst organisations like the MMF are educating and training new managers, the truth is that many artists have to do an awful lot of groundwork themselves these days.



The two questions I get asked most during my working day are:



Where do I find a manager? You don’t. They find you.



How do I get a record deal? You don’t. There aren’t any.



Seriously, the number of acts signed to the four major labels these days is very few, and the band (and their manager) have to build the fan base and success levels (records sales, gigs sold out) before most labels will even look at you. Similarly, the number of indie labels who will give an artist a meaningful advance to make an album and keep them alive for a year is very small.



From the above you might assume the outlook is bleak when it comes to finding a manager. If you think about it, a professional manager has to make a living and 20% of your income if you are not earning anything will not keep the wolf from the door. The answer is, unfortunately, that artists have to do an awful lot themselves before a manager will get involved. It’s called DIY (Do It Yourself) or perhaps more correctly DIT (Do It Together) for there are many, many people out there willing to help artists.



Initially of course it is up to the artists themselves to build a following, but that can soon become a chore and gets in the way of all that creativity – writing songs and rehearsing for instance. Shared amongst a band the responsibility can be spread around but is still burdensome. That’s where fans come in.



You need to cultivate a fanbase both online and at gigs and then you can ask them to do tasks for you. Whether it’s updating the website, having a van to get to a gig, designing a CD sleeve, taking promo photos or whatever, there are people out there who will help you. Ask for help and reward people for helping. One of them might want to be more involved, start organising things, motivating the band and hey presto! You have a manager. They might not be experienced but all the ins and outs can be taught to them (and you) by organisations such as mine.



The future is all about D2C – Direct to Consumer. You need to start this process as soon as a band forms and becomes creative. Social networking can be used in fantastic ways to find fans and cultivate them, and then you can monetise that relationship and build a career. A record label will find you if you are good enough and have a following.



If you are good, and getting better, a manager will find you. Before that, use whatever help you can find."



For more information and advice on making it in the music industry and the role of managers, visit BBC Introducing.

Hello!

After a lot of hard work and many chocolate biscuits, here it is: the shiny new BBC Performing Arts Fund website complete with blog!

The blog will be the place to come for updates about all things BBC Performing Arts Fund including latest news on our grants, tips and advice from experts in the business and updates on previous grant winners.



We are also delighted to announce that our new Community Dance scheme opens for applications today! The scheme invites community dance groups across the UK to apply for a grant to help them develop their skills and try out something new.



So have a play around, find out all about our new grants for dance, and read about some of the amazing individuals and groups that have benefitted from our help over the years including Adele, Andreya Triana and Lotek.