In Da Spotlight Youth Singing Competition

In Da Spotlight – Singing Competition

Young people are South Africa’s most valuable resource. The reality is that youth have talents and needs that communities can no longer afford to ignore. When we fail to provide youth with support and opportunities, they may experience unemployment later on in life, have drug or alcohol problems, commit crimes, and become a drain on community resources. When young people are nurtured by caring adults and are given opportunities to become involved in education or work that builds their skills, are supported and protected during challenging times, and are actively engaged in community activities, they become valuable contributors to the quality of community life. Engaging youth in their communities’ makes sense, both economically and ethically.

Ambassadors Youth and Community Development (a registered NPO with the Department of Social Development) has embarked on a critical assignment to reach our Nation’s Youth, firstly to engage them in Life Skills Workshops in Schools, and secondly to train, inform and develop them as young leaders for a better Africa. We are excited to be hosting this Competition that will unearth fresh new talent out there.

Contestant must be 16 years of age to 25 Years to enter and possess with a valid government issued identification to compete.

The competition will follow the following format:

1.  Five (5) workshops (locations depend on the number of entries per region in Gauteng in 2014)

I.            Saturday, March 22^nd                      – Workshop 1

II.            Saturday, March 29^th                    – Workshop 2

III.            Saturday, April 05^th                     – Workshop 3

IV.            Saturday, April 12^th                      – Workshop 4

V.            Saturday, April 29^th                         – Workshop 5

1. Six (6) Audition Days (locations depend on the number of entries per region in Gauteng in 2014)

I.            Saturday, May 10^th                          – Regular Competition

II.            Saturday, May 17^th                        – Regular Competition

III.            Saturday, May 24^th                     – Regular Competition

IV.            Saturday, June 07^th                    – Extra Day

V.            Saturday, June 14^th                       – Extra Day

VI.            Saturday, June 24^th                     – Extra day for Recalls

3. Final Workshops with qualifiers

I.            Saturday, June 28^th                          – Workshops

II.            Saturday, July 05^th                         – Workshops

4. Final Elimination Rounds

I.            Saturday, August 16^th                     – Regular Competition

II.            Saturday, August 23^rd                     – Regular Competition

III.            Saturday, August 30^th                  – Regular Competition

IV.            Saturday, September 06^th           – Extra Day

V.            Saturday, September 13^th              – Extra Day

1. FINALS

Saturday September 27^th – Grand Finale!

There is a R50.00 per person per entry contestant fee to participate.  Extended deadline entry fee of R100 per entry. When you enter multiple categories, the entry fee must correlate to the number of songs and categories. For example, if you enter one song in one category, the fee is R50. If you enter one song in two categories, the fee is R100. If you enter three songs in 3 different categories, the fee is R150, and so forth.  There will be 250 (two hundred and fifty) contestants accepted per contest and they will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis upon registration. Categories include: Christian, Pop/Top 40, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rock, Teen, and Vocal Performance

The plan is to share valuable skills and advise to all the finalists before they start competing for the grand prize. We will be visiting schools starting in August 2013 to promote this outreach event. Contestants can sign up online at www.indaspotlight.com to secure a competition spot.

The singing contest will have the following prize:

1. A recording deal worth R125 000.00 with an A grade studio facility.  Inclusive of the full recording process, producers, instrumentalists, vocals, engineering, mixing and mastering of the project.  Photo shoot, album Cover design and a batch of 1000 cd’s for the winning artist to embark on their career.

The aim of the contest is to identify musical gifts, empower, facilitate a fair process, award the winners and set the pace for the recording and ensure the winners are properly advised in their musical journey.  A 3 month mentorship programme will also form part of the empowerment process.

Our aim from the beginning has been to secure a leading panel of judges who will inspire new talent and endorse our long-term vision. We have strict rules when it comes to judges. They must have a genuine desire to help develop new talent and have the capability of doing so.

Our plans are ambitious and exciting for the years ahead, once we have established the “In Da Spotlight”singing contest as a professional, credible and entertaining event. This is in addition to the ongoing talent development activities which will be taking place throughout the year. Not limited to the Gauteng region but we plan to build the concept and ethos into a national brand which will lead into our overall vision.

The excitement and interest which has been generated ahead of the launch has been phenomenal. We fully expect this to continue due to the nature of the project and the fact that the competition is only part of what is a much larger vision.

Music is undergoing a boom period with more people interested and involved in the industry than ever and this talent needs harnessing in order to continue its progress. We welcome any offers of support, in terms of finance, infrastructure, expertise or time. All support would be gratefully received and highly rewarded for the long term.