JERSEY POTTERY AND LA MOTTE YOUTH CENTRE ANNOUNCE “BANJO” MUSIC COMPETITION FOR ISLAND STUDENTS

James Qualtrough | October 2, 2012 | 0 Comments

Jersey Pottery and La Motte Youth Centre announce a competition that gives Jersey students the chance to have their music played in Banjo, St Helier’s newest leisure venue located next to the Market at 8 Beresford Street, which will be opening its doors in December.

Banjo is looking for talented young people to create some music mixes to be played as background music while people dine, relax and party at the refurbished historic five-storey Victorian building which will feature a dining room, brasserie and bar as well as private rooms for parties, weddings and corporate events. Overall the capacity of the re-furbished state-of-the-art building will be over 380 people which is sure to make it one of St Helier’s most vibrant leisure venues.

Students who enter the competition are asked to create lounge or soft dance track mixes based on or using samples taken from the 1930s Columbia recordings of Ernest Jones, a renowned Banjoist and inspiration behind the name of the new St Helier leisure venue. As well as being played at the venue, the best entries will have a chance of winning three prizes of £100 and the school or Youth Centre which the winning entry attends will be awarded £500 to purchase equipment for their music department.

Students interested in entering should e-mail lamottebookings@youthservice.yc.je with the subject ‘Banjo Music Competition’, their name, age and school/occupation. Entrants must be in full time education in Jersey or be Jersey students in full time education outside the Island in which case £500 will be awarded to their former Jersey school.

The closing date for the competition is Friday 16th November. The submissions will then be judged by a panel including Ryan Morrison of BBC Introducing, Ivor Richards of La Motte Street Studios and Dominic Jones of Banjo’s owners, Jersey Pottery and great-grandson of Ernest Jones, who recorded the original music

Brent Connan, Volunteer Youth Worker said:

“This is an exciting opportunity for budding musicians to broaden their skills and explore a new musical territory while earning the opportunity to have their music heard in a vibrant and social atmosphere on a regular basis”

Dominic Jones, Director of Jersey Pottery, said:

“After two years of preparation Jersey Pottery are close to opening the doors of this historic St Helier landmark which will be open to the general public for the first time in over 100 years. Banjo is a true Jersey project upon which 40 local firms and hundreds of local tradesmen have worked and we are excited to further involve the creative talents of the Island’s students in producing music to be played at the venue.”