Choosing this Artist Development Level 4 course is a way of fine-tuning your journey into the creative industries.

The creative sector is one of the fastest growing areas of the UK economy and a great and exciting place in which to work.

This Artist Development course can lead onto:

• Employment, or self-employment, in the creative industries. This may be as a music artist, producer or songwriter, or it may be into another area of the music or creative industries.
• A creative apprenticeship as a stepping stone to work.
• It can, with additional study, lead on to a creative degree at university where you can gain further skills in preparation for work. Access Creative College has two new music foundation degrees which could offer perfect progression.

Being at Access Creative College is so much more than just doing a course. You will have the chance to get first-hand experience of the music and creative industries.

Here are some of the opportunities you can take advantage of:

• EVENTS: You’ll have unique opportunities to showcase your work. These range from local gigs to the chance to perform on a festival stage at events such as Latitude organised by partner, Festival Republic.
• MUSIC GLUE: Music Glue is a global direct-to-fan platform used by 26,000 artists worldwide to sell tickets, merchandise, music and more direct to their audience from one customisable website.
• EMPLOYABILITY WEEKS: Three weeks each year are dedicated to developing your work skills and showcasing your work.
• MASTERCLASSES: The college promotes industry masterclasses by artists and industry players. These enable you to gain advice and guidance from working professionals.
• COMPASS MUSIC: Gain advice and guidance from our in-house music label.

On successful completion you will get a recognised qualification which you can add to your creative CV:

• One year RSL Level 4 Diploma for Creative Practitioners.
• Consists for four units generating 64 ten-hour credits.
• Equivalent of studying at the first year of an undergraduate degree.

• The Artist Development course lasts for one year.
• It is usually delivered over two to four days per week from September to June (daytime). How long you are in college will depend on what additional English and Maths sessions you need to attend.
• If you are aged 17-18 on 31st August 2019, and/or at the start of your Artist Development course then the course if FREE
• If you are aged 19+ on 31st August 2019, and/or at the start of your Artist Development  course then you will have to pay £4425 per year. However, you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover the cost of this course. You will only have to repay the loan when you start to earn over £21,000 per year.

Applying for this Artist Development course is easy.

All you need to do is fill in our short online application form. After you have created an account you will be able to provide links to online work, upload relevant documents and book an interview slot.

• AGE: You must be at least 17 years old to apply.

SKILLS SET:

• We value your creative passion and skills above all else. You should have a Level 3 qualification, such as a RSL or BTEC Subsidiary Diploma.
• As a guide, this course is for more experienced musicians and producers with experience of creating your own music. You should have an awareness and understanding of yourself as a music artist and how you would like to develop.
• You should be able to demonstrate that you have the potential to work at Level 4.
• Applicants with non-standard qualifications and/or experience are encouraged to apply and will be considered if they can demonstrate appropriate ability through application.
• Please note you will not be able to enrol if you will be under the age of 16 on 31st August. Applications from people under this age are still welcome, but will be deferred to the following year.

INTERVIEW:

• You will be invited to an audition/interview. Please prepare:
  • 2 or 3 original tracks, either for live audition, or for playback and discussion. Please feel free to bring other supporting material such as video, or provide links to online content (e.g. Soundcloud).
  • A rationale of your music and how you see it developing.
  • Any supporting material representing you as an artist, for example links to a website or social media page, artwork, posters, photoshoots, video etc., with an appreciation of the brand/image you are trying to create.
  • Ideas for your business strategy as an artist. This could be around the development of your fanbase and potential partnerships with music industry players (e.g. managers, agents, labels etc.). In the case of bands, members will need to identify individual roles within the business strategy. 
• You can view/download a detailed Interview Guide from the link below.