В Болтоне запускают ежемесячный музыкальный фестиваль и цифровой каталог творцов

A Bolton rapper hopes to build on the town’s “incredible amount of musical talent” with a new regular monthly event. Bilal Shafiq, also known as B-SHAF, will be launching the first Bolton Music Community Open Mic event at the Headspace den on Bradshawgate next week. He said this will be a great way of showcasing Bolton’s growing music scene. B-SHAF said: "The aim is to create a regular monthly event, first Wednesday of every month, where Bolton’s rappers, singers, musicians, producers and creatives can perform, network, collaborate and support one another. “While Bolton has an incredible amount of musical talent, there hasn’t really been a consistent place where the local music community comes together. “My hope is that this becomes much more than an open mic, it becomes the meeting point for Bolton’s grassroots music scene and a place where new collaborations, friendships and opportunities naturally develop. “The event is also intended to provide a welcoming, alcohol-free environment that is accessible to everyone, particularly for communities who may not feel comfortable performing in traditional pub venues.” B-SHAF says that as well as launching the open mic, his Bolton Council-funded Artist Development & Cultural Showcase Project has moved fully into its artist development phase. He said: “Over the past month alone, my producer, recording engineer and creative collaborator Shamschi and I have completed 22 intensive studio sessions, which we’ve called X Sessions. “Each X Session follows a simple but demanding format. “Shamschi creates an entirely new beat from scratch, and I then have just 45 minutes to write and record a complete song from scratch. “The sessions are designed to develop me as an artist rather than simply create music.” B-SHAF said that Shamschi has been pushing him outside his comfort zone with different songwriting exercises and creative challenges. These include writing songs around objects without revealing what they are until the chorus, exploring different perspectives and storytelling techniques. They have also been developing distinct artistic personas, experimenting with vocal delivery and discovering new ways of expressing ideas. B-SHAF said: “We’ve also been developing my artistic identity, exploring how different personas influence confidence, delivery, writing and performance. “By the end of the project we’ll select the strongest songs from these sessions to perform at my own showcase before releasing them consistently over the following year. “I’d also really like to shine a spotlight on Shamschi himself. “Although he’s recorded, mixed and mastered every song I’ve released as B-SHAF, this project marks the first time we’ve worked together with him producing an entire body of work from the ground up as part of a structured artist development programme. “Outside of my own music, Shamschi has worked with a huge number of artists across Bolton as a producer, recording engineer, mix engineer and mastering engineer. “He’s helped countless musicians develop their sound and turn ideas into finished records. “He’s been instrumental (pun intended!) in supporting Bolton’s grassroots music scene, but like many producers and engineers, much of that work happens quietly behind the scenes. “I think it’s important that people recognise the contribution people like Shamschi make to developing local talent.” B-SHAF says that another of his long-term ambitions is to create a Bolton creative directory helping to connect musicians, rappers, producers, singers, DJs and more. He said: “The idea is to create one place where someone can say, ‘I need a producer,’ ‘I need a photographer,’ or ‘I need somewhere to rehearse,’ and immediately discover the creative talent that already exists in Bolton. “At the moment, many creatives are working in separate silos and often don’t know what’s available just a few miles away. “I believe better connections between creatives will lead to more collaboration, stronger businesses, more opportunities for local people and a healthier creative economy across the borough. “The monthly open mic is intended to be the first step in bringing that community together in person, while the Creative Directory would become the digital platform connecting Bolton’s creative sector all year round. “Together with PMAC’s wider work, the long-term ambition is to help build a stronger creative ecosystem in Bolton, one where artists and creatives don’t just survive individually but grow collectively.”