Southampton Showcase
Final year BA Music and Management Science student and Showcase Intern Vicky Halloran updates us on developing Showcase and plans for the future:
As someone with a head for business and a love of music, I was enthused by the opportunity of an internship which provides real-world business engagement in the music field. Showcase is a platform which provides exposure to talented students in the music department, employing two interns who assist with communications, social media, and concert production.
Showcase has an allocation of lunchtime concerts in the Turner Sims Concert Hall. We engage with the performers, establish and provide for their technical needs, book external professionals, such as piano tuners and sound engineers, publicise the concerts and run the show on the day, supervising ushers and controlling the light desk. The experience in every sector of concert production is invaluable; developing time management skills and learning to communicate professionally.
In April, we worked with an alumnus, Clarice Goff, the Marketing Executive for Allianz Musical Insurance. Showcase performers participated in an all-day photo shoot, receiving professional photographs for their own portfolios, and Allianz used a select few for their own marketing campaigns. The photos are featured on all Showcase social media platforms and are included on many of the performers’ websites, some have used their photos to make business cards.
Over the summer we had a big rethink about our brand and engagement which included a new logo (see above!) and a relaunch of all social media platforms. Among many other events, Showcase promoted our own show at in ‘Summer in The Square’, a two-month long festival to celebrate the best cultural organisations in the Southampton region.
I am an intern on Showcase until the end of the year, I am excited for the rest of this internship as I am aiming to start a career in the music industry, once I graduate.