Urban Vocal Group
![]() The Urban Vocal Group logo, used since 2008 | |
Abbreviation | UVG |
---|---|
Formation | 2007 As a non-profit organisation 2008[1] As a registered charity |
Founders |
|
Type | Charitable organisation (HMRC exemption status) |
Purpose | Musical education |
Headquarters | Portsmouth Guildhall, United Kingdom |
Area served | City of Portsmouth |
Key people | Gary Dickens Chairman Charlie Fletcher co-founder, co-chair & administrative director Amba Tremain co-founder & musical teacher/director[2][3] |
Website | theuvg |
The Urban Vocal Group (/ˈʊərbɑːn/, abbreviated to the UVG) is a musical charity headquartered in Portsmouth, Hampshire that specialise in contemporary music performance and education.
The charity has been active in Havant since 2008 and within Portsmouth City since 2014, providing access to music training in the form of group vocals, songwriting, music composition and recording, rehearsals and live performances as well as public music workshops.[4] The charity mainly accommodate for 11 to 18 year olds, but also provide a senior group for older attendees. They also began extensive artist development projects in 2015 for younger musicians, which had progressed further in 2016.[5][6] The UVG celebrated their 10-year anniversary as a registered charity on 14 January 2018 at Portsmouth Guildhall.[7][8]
History
The Urban Vocal Group was originally established in December 2007 by legacy programmer and musician Charlie Fletcher with the assistance of fellow singer-songwriter Amba Tremain.[9] Initially, the charity was created in the effort to form a diverse community of young people from the City of Portsmouth area, by teaching them the musical abilities they would find in a like-minded environment, which would potentially be beneficial toward young people if they decide upon a profession in the music industry.[10][11][12]
In 2014, the group received a £53,000 grant by The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport through their representative division, The National Foundation for Youth Music,[13] allowing the charity to expand their quota, including the area served from their initial Havant-based 30-seat venue to larger venues at Portsmouth Guildhall from September 2014, which helped to accommodate for higher attendance rates.[14] The grant also enabled the charity to increase their artists development activities in 2015, with an additional grant of £14,600 from the Arts Council England in 2016.[15]
Also in 2014, the UVG formed the Adult Urban Vocal Group (or AUVG for short) to serve as a transition group for singers who previously attended the younger groups, and to allow adults to experience the UVG sound for themselves whilst also generating income for the charity.[16]
Performances
The Urban Vocal Group have performed at venues such as The House of Commons, New Theatre Royal, BBC Radio Solent and notably at the Kings Theatre, guesting with BRIT Award-winning vocal group BLAKE,[17] as well as with singer-songwriter Chesney Hawkes at Portsmouth Guildhall in July 2016,[18] as well as performing there alone in January 2018 for their tenth annual show.[19][20] The UVG also sold-out the 500-seat venue Portsmouth Pyramids Centre, for their annual show on 4 December 2016,[21] accompanied by singer-songwriter Marley Blandford and youth streetdance group, Most Wanted.[22] The group have also performed at events such as at Britain's Got Talent auditions in Churchill Square, Brighton[23] as well as the one-off Portsmouth Summer Show in 2016, Southsea Bandstand and Victorious Festival in both 2016 and 2017.[24][25][26][27]
Other venues include the following:
- The Wedgewood Rooms
- Fort Nelson
- Southsea Castle
- Spinnaker Tower
- Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
- Havant Plaza
- South Parade Pier
- Portsmouth Pyramids Centre[28]
Awards
In early 2017, the UVG received the Cultural Partnership Award at the annual Shaping Portsmouth Conference.[29]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | The Urban Vocal Group | Cultural Partnership Award | Won |
External links
- Victorious Festival
- Portsmouth Guildhall
- Shaping Portsmouth
- Kings Theatre, Southsea
- Arts Council England
References
- ^ "The UVG in Portsmouth, England". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ "Amba Tremain, musical director at the UVG". zoominfo.com. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ "The Urban Vocal Group, charity details". beta.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2017., accessed 16-07-2017
- ^ "The UVG use music making to enhance the life chances of young people". theuvg.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Wealthy stars should donate back to the arts, Lady Lloyd Webber says". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "The Urban Vocal Group". portsmouthmusichub.org. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ "Sunday 14th January (UVG) THE URBAN VOCAL GROUP 10th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT at Portsmouth Guildhall". Book.Events. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "The Urban Vocal Group 10th Anniversary Concert". Portsmouth Guildhall. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "CARLY-ANN PURCELL: Amba and the UVG Are Phenomenal!". 2 December 2016.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Farmer, Matt. "Amba Tremain: Musical Director of the Urban Vocal Group [Interview]". Shaping Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
- ^ "'It's meant that I've grown up fast'". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "The Urban Vocal Group has a passion worth singing about". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ "Department for Culture Media and Sport". www.lottery.culture.gov.uk. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=
(help) - ^ "Urban Vocal Group". Portsmouth Guildhall. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ Farmer, Matt. "The Urban Vocal Group secures new Artist Development funding". Shaping Portsmouth. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "#GirlBoss Amba Tremain talks Urban Vocal Group, Boy George, and Eva Cassidy". Love Southsea. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "The Urban Vocal Group | Youth Music Network". network.youthmusic.org.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ "Chesney Hawkes celebrates 25 years of The One And Only at Portsmouth Guildhall". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "The UVG 10th Anniversary concert". teamlocals.co.uk. 14 January 2018.
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(help) - ^ "THE BIG READ Urban Vocal Group: 'It's all about creating confident young people'". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Group, UVG - The Urban Vocal. "The UVG (plus special guests) LIVE at The Pyramids - 4 December 2016". Evensi. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "CARLY-ANN PURCELL: Amba and The UVG are phenomenal!". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "PICTURES: Auditions great and small for shot at fame on Britain's Got Talent". The Argus. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "The Complete Victorious Festival Schedule". 19 August 2016.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ "Victorious Festival 2017 | The MFW Music Festival Guide". Music Festival Wizard. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ uknip. "Exclusive Live at the Bandstand Dates Revealed". UK News In Pictures News. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "Urban Vocal Group Live at the Bandstand". allevents.in. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ "UVG (Urban Vocal Group) Plus special guests Live at The Pyramids - Sunday 4th December". Book.Events. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ Farmer, Matt. "Shaping Awards". Shaping Portsmouth. Retrieved 13 June 2017.