Specialist music producers Serious and Cryptic are pleased to announce their first collaboration in an exciting new professional development project for Scottish musicians.
Air Time Meets Cryptic is funded by Creative Scotland, Help Musicians UK and Renfrewshire Council as part of Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021, and will be based in Paisley in 2018. The project will engage five Scottish composer/performers from a wide range of genres in professional development opportunities and will enable an exciting collaboration of the Glasgow-based international producers Cryptic and the London-based international producers Serious.
Air Time Meets Cryptic will involve the commissioning, development and presentation of especially created music by emerging composer/performers in any genre (i.e., jazz, folk, electronica, contemporary classical, etc) who are living and working in Scotland.
The week-long residential component of the scheme will take place in Paisley in May and will introduce the participating composer/performers to specialist industry personnel (working across the areas of communications, publishing and recording, funding, legal, programming, etc.) who will illuminate the business aspects of creative careers with a view to empowering the participants with information, networks and confidence to take more control over the business aspects of their career.
As part of this residency, Serious will invite the contemporary music community of Scotland to participate in a ‘round table’ meeting about the sector in Paisley, with the outcome being a greater understanding about the work of these organisations and how they nurture talent, the needs of the creative musicians in the sector and a map of the opportunities available.
The new musical works and performances which emerge from Air Time Meets Cryptic will be developed under the guidance of specialist producers within Cryptic and Serious and the best of these will be presented under the ‘Cryptic Nights’ series in Glasgow and Paisley by Cryptic, and through various Serious presentation opportunities such as The EFG London Jazz Festival and/or Serious Space.
Serious Director John Cumming said, ‘Serious is looking forward to collaborating with cutting-edge producers Cryptic on Airtime, whose audacious and boundary-crossing approach to genres and practice matches Serious’s own. This edition of Air Time will also be taking place in the environment of Paisley’s exciting music scene and will, we hope provide encouragement, know-how and reinforcement to Scotland’s ever-creative music practitioners.’
Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland, said: ‘In order to remain ambitious and exciting, Scotland’s music sector relies on mentoring and support of emerging artists and music industry professionals. Air Time Meets Cryptic presents an excellent opportunity for Scottish composers and performers to develop their careers and reach new audiences, key aims of our Arts Strategy, working closely with Serious and Cryptic - both significant organisations with a strong track record in spotting and nurturing talent.’
Cryptic’s Artistic Director Cathie Boyd said, ‘Cryptic is delighted to be working with Serious to deliver Air Time, which we believe will further our mission of nurturing the best in upcoming Scottish talent whilst also bringing some of the most exciting creative voices to Paisley’s vibrant and growing music scene. With a shared interest and passion for supporting emerging musicians, we are excited to explore the many opportunities this new partnership will generate for artists and audiences alike.’
Paisley 2021 bid director Jean Cameron said: "We are delighted to be able to support this great project through Renfrewshire's Culture, Heritage and Events Fund. Paisley's bid to be UK City of Culture 2021 aims to bring the very best artists from the UK and beyond to work with our local talent, so we are delighted two of the country's leading arts promoters are coming to Paisley next year. The town has a rich musical heritage and our music scene is already thriving - with our annual flagship Spree arts festival taking place this week and headlined by our very own Paolo Nutini. This project will allow the next generation of Paisley talent to strengthen their networks by teaming up with some of the most exciting people working in UK music right now."
Notes for editors:
1. The development stage of Air Time Meets Cryptic will continue through the winter of 2017/2018, along with the nomination and selection of artists which will be concluded by January 2018. Interviews with the participants (‘DNA sessions’) will follow and the professional development residency will take place in May 2018. The live performances will be part of Cryptic Nights and various Serious events later in 2018, and project evaluation will be completed by early 2019.
2. Cryptic is a Glasgow-based internationally-renowned producing art house, presenting today’s most imaginative, innovative artists whilst also nurturing the creative talent of tomorrow. We create memorable experiences that engage and inspire our audiences. Cryptic ‘ravishes the senses’ with multi-media performances that fuse music, sonic and visual art. Recognising the need for a regular, supportive platform for emerging Scottish based artists with fresh ideas, Cryptic launched Cryptic Nights in 2009 and have to date, presented over 250 artists in partnership with the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow. For more information: cryptic.org.uk
3. Serious is one of the UK’s leading producers and curators of live jazz, international and new music. Its events range from major concerts, festivals and national and international tours through to learning and participation programmes, conferences and specially commissioned bespoke events. Alongside the production of live music, Serious produces a suite of acclaimed talent development programmes for emerging creative musicians in the UK and Europe. Serious also curates and produces the EFG London Jazz Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of jazz, which celebrates its 25th edition in 2017. Our charity, Serious Trust, supports the development of the next generation of music greats and the creation of outstanding new music and inspiring opportunities to engage and learn. Seriously Talented is a suite of talent development programmes produced by Serious. It include Take Five: UK, Take Five: Europe, Take Five: Switzerland, Air Time: Jazz CPD Scotland (the predecessor of Air Time meets Cryptic), Move On Up and Artistic Visionaries. For more information: serious.org.uk/support-us, serious.org.uk
4. Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. It enables people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. It distributes funding from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. For more information: creativescotland.com
5. Help Musicians UK is the country’s leading independent charity for musicians at all stages of their career. Since 1921, it has helped thousands of musicians establish themselves in the music business, get through a serious crisis, cope with long term difficulties and enjoy retirement. As well as providing advice and guidance, it can offer financial and emotional support. For more information: helpmusicians.org.uk
6. Paisley’s bid to be the UK City of Culture 2021 is part of a wider push to use its unique cultural and heritage story to transform its future. The UK City of Culture programme is a UK-wide event run by the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport: previous winners are Derry (2013) and Hull (2017). There has never been a Scottish winner before. For more information: paisley2021.co.uk
