Musicians support

From rehearsal studios to the stage, from workshops to information sessions, discover our courses designed for musicians...

The aim is to give local and regional artists our full attention by supporting them and helping them develop their careers, in order to become a driving force of artistic and professional development.

This project is divided into a range of actions such as creative workshops, master classes, supervised rehearsals and partnerships with new local organisations. Through the project, local artists are also given the opportunity to perform as supporting acts during shows as we promote exchanges between local amateur artists and professionals.

These actions are implemented in tandem with the other venues and/or structures of the Dunkirk area or the Haut-de-France region.

1) Our support plan: Supporting Amateur Artists

For the first time this year Les 4Ecluses are implementing training sessions designed for amateur musicians who rehearse in our studios. Our goal is simple: give three bands the opportunity to benefit from the help and skill of Les 4Ecluses on three key points:

• Stage and technical training

Led by our team, the bands will benefit from three workdays in professional working conditions on the stage of Les 4Ecluses. They will work on stage setting, work on how to adapt their music to perform on stage and learn to work with feedbacks, but also set up a data sheet, to create a coherent setlist or to think about the artistic universe in which their project takes places. At the end of these workdays, a show open to the public will highlight their work and progress.

• Rehearsal and recording training

The bands will be able to work with our team on creative process. They will also work with us during rehearsals. It will go from the necessity to work in good technical conditions (playing and listening comfort) and the chronological construction of a rehearsal session to arrangements analysis.

We will train the three bands in the studio as well, where they will be able to record two or three songs and make a promotional demo. This session remains educational, the aim for the band is to better comprehend work in the studio.

• Structural training

It can be difficult for amateur bands to grasp the issues at stake when it comes to the work of a musician: copyrights, communication tools, French employment law and many more issues... Thus, on top of the free sessions and workshops designed for bands by Les 4Ecluses, our team will give musicians both advice and informations on how to organise an art project but will also help them setting up promotional tools for their band (biography, promotional shots...).

This training plan is exclusively reserved for amateur bands building a collection of original songs (and not of cover songs) who can account for a minimum of thirty hours of rehearsal (as completed or programmed) in Les 4Ecluses’ rehearsal studios.

2) Local artists programming

A full section of Les 4Ecluses’ programme is dedicated to Dunkirk’s local artists. First, open scenes are organised for the region’s amateur musicians. Our “Take The Stage” evenings are opened to all the bands of the area who are willing to promote their original songs and to introduce an interested audience to their universe during a 20-minute set.

Les 4Ecluses also allows more experienced bands to support professional musicians within the programme. Supporting acts are the right place for bands to face the public and to meet well-known artists and share experiences as professionals.

3) Workshops / Information courses

Information course: “Career path”

The “Career path” course offers amateur bands, young professional artists, organisation members and those who simply want to know more a set of meetings with professionals to discuss issues and get answers.

Workshops

Les 4Ecluses set up a training cycle on production called “Labo Audio” (Audio lab). This educational course for musicians aims at reinforcing amateur artists’ autonomy regarding creative processes. Discover the artistic and technical mechanisms used to production a song in its entirety, but also the language of professional producers and mix engineers. Centred around specific examples encompassing different musical genres (rock, soul, electronic music...), this training cycle is aimed at both interested beginners willing to improve their practice and enlightened enthusiasts prone to share experiences, question their practice and learn new techniques and methods.

4) Creative residency programmes

At Les 4Ecluses, we have been welcoming new bands as creative resident almost every year since 2007. Creative residency is more than a simple rehearsal; it enables (soon-to-be) professional artists to settle down in Dunkirk for several weeks in order to plan a new show. Guided artists must account for professional support (management, record label, booking agent).

A precise project and real goals in terms of broadcasting should follow this creative work for musicians. The programme includes work on songwriting, arrangements, staging, visual and sound designing of shows...

Creative residencies also enhance the benefits brought by artists to the region. They get involved with the agglomeration’s public in various ways (writing workshops, sessions with schools, introduction to computer music and much more!).

Since 2007, several artists have been Les 4Ecluses’ residents: UNNO, Awir Leon, Ed Wood Jr, Ukandanz, Monolithes, Pablo Moses, Margaret Catcher, Green Vaughan, Okay Monday and many more…