The Green House Music Residency
Our new music development project - The Green House - ran from October 30th to November 4th 2023 and saw a long list of applicants whittled down to 3 artists who were awarded a week long residency with us.
Taking place at the Green Dragon Studios, Stockton, the residency gave all three artists the opportunity for free access to professional rehearsal and recording facilities, advice from industry experts and the opportunity to perform a fully recorded live set at The Georgian Theatre, Stockton.
During that time they developed their work and came away with tangible assets that can now be used for promotion and music releases.
The residency was run in association with The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (formerly Sage Gateshead) and took inspiration from their successful Summer Studio programme.
The Green House helps us to address issues raised at our music development events, such as our annual On Point music conference and their one-to-one sessions, and aims to level the playing field by offering facilities that artists - especially during the cost of living crisis - may not have the resources to invest in.
It also gives artists the time and space out of their busy lives to develop their craft as musicians and performers, as well as providing access to expert knowledge that will help demystify what, at times, can be a confusing industry, especially to those early in their careers.
To finish the week, on Saturday 4th November, all three of the successful artists performed a show at The Georgian Theatre in Stockton, a 300-capacity, fully-accessible music venue with state-of-the-art PA and lighting rig. This offered the artists a platform to showcase music they had been working on throughout the week, provide gig experience in terms of setting up and performing a show to a live audience, as well as allowing them to celebrate their work and accomplishments throughout the residency.
The Green House residency offered three artists the following opportunities…
- Access to rehearsal space to practice, write music and work on live setup.
- Access to a professional recording studio for one day to record music, which will be mixed by our in-house engineer after the week has finished.
- Workshops with music industry professionals offering expert advice, followed by a post-residency 1-to-1 video call with an industry expert on any areas they feel need developing.
- Photoshoot from a local photographer.
- Live performance on the evening of Saturday 4th November with full audio and visual recording of the performance.
- Ongoing music industry advice and mentoring, after the week has ended.
The Green House... #Class of 2023
My time at the Greenhouse Residency was completely invigorating for my musical career. When I first applied I was at a crossroads, feeling lost and unsure of what I could do next to further myself and my creative output. Having the time to work on my craft in an open, inviting space was a dream come true.
Since the residency I feel refreshed and am now aiming to make creating music my day job.
The support I received throughout the week was incredibly helpful and personal - I felt I was being looked at as an individual and not just given generic advice. I also feel the support post-residency has been excellent - I have an enthusiastic point of contact in Tees Music Alliance that I can get in touch with if I need help.
The sessions with industry professionals were particularly useful for me, I thought the range of speakers was very well thought out and the post-residency mentorship has already brought up further opportunities for me that I hope will see my career develop further in the next 12 months.
Church, Honey
The week I spent was excellent, it gave me an opportunity to both personally and financially to concentrate uninterrupted on working on new material - which was recorded professionally at the end of the week, and is now to be my first single.
The sessions we had with industry professionals were full of genuinely practical advice (advice which I'm now applying) about marketing, promotion and release - and were invaluable.
Being able to ask and answer questions directly at 'source' , and network with artists in a similar position as me, and to hear their questions has also been invaluable.
The gig was fantastic, not only to play in a high profile venue and have exposure to a new audience, but to come away with video and photography promotional material is amazing. Its exactly these resources I need to apply for further gigs and promotion for my music and they are things that would have taken considerable time to save up for so the whole week has kick started so many exciting possibilities for me.
The support after the residency finished has been also outstanding. Thank you TMA!
Lockheed Lyndsay
The residency not only provided us with an amazing opportunity to grow as a band, it also brought us closer together as people and how to support each other. Practicing every day using the fantastic facilities at the Green Room was so productive, writing songs and rehearsing in such a creative environment. The residency was excellent and the information provided throughout the week was so useful, it gave us a valuable insight into the music industry.
The showcase gig was great, we love playing the Georgian Theatre it has such a nice vibe.
The residency was great and we will never forget the week we had, however the support doesn't stop there. We have had so much help and guidance after the residency to help us plan a full year of releases and how we should be developing as a band into 2024.
Wingz Of The Monkey
