Urban Junkies London
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Tue 27 Mar, 2012
 
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Britain’s Got Talent
 
London’s not-so-mainstream talent contests
 
 
 
Newest US-import The Voice has proved, quite spectacularly, that the era of the talent show still isn’t going anywhere (and probably never will). It has all the necessary ingredients: blow-by-blow Twitter hype, public-friendly judges and a healthy dose of drama. But what separates The Voice from its other talent(less) primetime counterparts is its no mockery, no sob story, no novelty (apart from the blind audition part) approach. This, we like.

So, we’ve decided to embrace the new-era talent show. We’ve sussed out the off-screen/new format contests looking for you Britons that really do got talent.
 

MUSIC - Live music nights remain a popular source for label scouts. Breakout at Camden Proud is a hotbed for industry heads as is ILUVLIVE at XOYO, with only 5 hard-to-get slots per month (Emeli Sandé performed here back in 2010). A&R people should stop by the Hip Hop Karaoke nights at The Social - barely "Karaoke" in the purest sense of the word, it’s more like a launch pad for 8 Mile style talent. And lastly, DJs should watch out for W Hotel’s DJ Labs and the Red Bull Music Academy - both brilliant global platforms where promising newbies learn from esteemed mentors.

FASHION - Of course there’s Fashion Fringe where past judges like Donatella, Mr Ford and Galliano have set the bar for the calibre of design. Applications are now open for September, and this year’s panel will be announced imminently. Alternatively, the Grazia Hat Factor will be taking place on Friday: if you fancy yourself as the next Philip Treacy, just turn up at Grazia’s offices with a finished hat/prototype/sketch in tow (we love how casual this process is - we predict a high turnout). The winner will feature in the magazine as well as the London 2012 Festival.

FOOD - Forget Masterchef. True culinary artists should apply for the Young British Foodies. Yes, we know, we’ve banged on about this since its launch, but this is one food competition with judges who know what they’re doing when it comes to the biz (Nuno Mendes versus Gregg Wallace is a no brainer really…)

DESIGN - Think of LA-born Talenthouse as an ongoing competition for creative types. If you’re a budding (or already established) artist, designer, photographer, filmmaker or music producer you can upload your portfolio, before entering yourself into competitions to be involved in big-name projects. Past competitions have included designing a stage outfit for Florence Welch and logos for MTV.

After all, raw talent should be just that - raw. No frills, no tears and certainly no small screen.
 

Info
Breakout at Proud Galleries
ILUVLIVE at XOYO
Fashion Fringe applications close April 27
Grazia Hat Factor applications on March 30 for one day only
The YBFs applications close April 30
Talenthouse

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by JC
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SPOTLIGHT
 
   
The Big Ticket Deal
 
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Tickets on sale now for just £15, £25 and £35 at www.TheBigTicketDeal.com (no booking fee) for performances April 16 - June 8 2012.
 
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Agenda Picks
 
This Week’s Agenda Picks
 
Agenda 1   Agenda 2   Agenda 3   Agenda 4
           
EAT HEAR VIEW WATCH
       
Try Soho’s newest Indian, Cinnamon Soho. 5 Kingly street, W1B 5PF.   Witness the battle of drinks at Grape Vs. Grain. Tonight from 7pm. The Draft House, 206-208 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 2UP.   See Hirst, the Chapman Bros and Grayson Perry under one roof. Printed Matter at Eleven. 11 Ecclestone Street SW1W 9LX.   See a mix of cult, classic and recent films at Films at The Yard. Queens Yard, White Post Lane, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN.  
 
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