On point: (L-R) Small Green Shoots member Lenya James and DJ Roundz at the SGS organised UpShoots Sessions in 2019
How – and why – you should get involved with the Small Green Shoots revolution...
“As Nat focuses on ensuring the survival of Small Green Shoots throughout this pandemic – while helping the Shoots deal with their daily challenges – it’s the job of myself and the board to ensure that we rally support from the music industry.
W
hen the pandemic hit, the need for more support intensified. SGS managed to keep every Shoot employed, and they took on three more.
“We had 364 applicants for those three roles,” reflects Wade. “One kid walked from Seven Sisters in Tottenham to Kings Cross in the blazing heat – he was dripping – just to do an interview because he didn’t have the bus fare. There’s so much demand.”
But after the global Black Lives Matter protests, they were tested.
Make it great: Lauryn Grant representing SGS at 2019’s We Make Camden community event
However, the pandemic threw up new challenges too – like the digital divide. For Shoots in lockdown with no computer or Wi-Fi at home, the charity reached out to companies for old laptops and dongles. “I was delivering them on foot with my backpack,” says Wade. “One of our old Shoots works in IT at a law firm and was reconditioning them for me as a favour to Small Green Shoots. It comes back into the fold.” Then there was the task of keeping Shoots motivated in a pandemic, creating work when all their funding projects had been wiped out.
“When some of them have underlying health conditions or are single mums with no outdoor space, or from chaotic households, it’s hard for them to work remotely,” Wade notes. “We have Zoom meetings everyday at 10am and 4pm, and everybody has to rock up – no-one can be late, and there can be no dark cameras – everybody shows themselves. We’re in it together. Also, we need to make sure they’re doing OK.” Pastoral care runs through the veins of the charity.
“Blackout Tuesday was the hardest day I've ever had at Small
Green Shoots” Natalie Wade, Small Green Shoots
58 | Music Week
“Blackout Tuesday was the hardest day I’ve ever had at Small Green Shoots,” says Wade, fighting back tears. “The Shoots’ doubts, fears and anger all came out. It was horrible. They called me a liar. They were like, ‘Why are you making us think that we can get somewhere when we haven’t got a chance?
You’re just wasting our time.’ It was really hurtful but I had to see where they were coming from because I’m so passionate about them moving forward. They can become the decision-makers that change things.” For that to happen, Wade believes money alone won’t fix it – but it helps. On the night she won the Unsung Hero Award at the Artist And Manager Awards in 2018, Simon Moran (SJM Concerts) introduced himself and pledged to give them £10,000 year-on-year.
“That paid for us to have a home at Tileyard,” says Wade. “He just quietly does it and the Shoots do him a video every six months showing what they’ve done.” Then there are sponsors like Concord Publishing and PPL – each pay for a Shoot to train with Small Green Shoots and offer secondments in their company. Does she think the industry is doing enough? “If the industry is really serious about diversity and levelling the playing field then open your doors!” Wade argues passionately.
“I want all of these organisations to meet the Shoots. See what diversity looks like and how brilliant it is. Then I want them to take my Shoots back into their buildings, incubate them, sprinkle some more water on them and watch them grow like I do. It breaks down barriers. It will inform your organisation simply by having them. Don’t just say, ‘I haven’t got anything at the moment’, create something if you really want to make change. If you’re serious about it and not just ‘Black Lives Matter just for Christmas’. Give your time.”
One-off donations are great, but in order to ensure long lasting change, we urgently need partners to pledge guaranteed amounts for a minimum of three years. This investment doesn’t just help fund future Shoots, it genuinely helps the industry as well. Companies get interns and young staff members that are far better prepared than those who have followed purely academic routes, plus a work force that better reflects the society in which we live. Not to mention SGS funds young artists before they have the statistics that the industry often needs to see before signing them. There are countless other ways in which firms can help, from mentorships, internships, social-takeovers and more. My own company, Entertainment One, along with parent company, Hasbro, recently held an entire day of programming, devised by the Shoots themselves, to help them understand the vast array of jobs that the entertainment industry can offer beyond purely being an artist.”
Gary Mandel (VP, creative, Entertainment One Music UK/SGS board member)
“Looking to the future, Small Green Shoots would like to see its model for vocational training rolled out nationally and become a recognised alternative by the government. In a snapshot, this would begin with a considerable uplift
in our financial resources. From here we would begin by increasing the number of regional pop-up offices we can deliver annually and desk spaces in our London office to take on more young Shoots. We’d also broaden our ability to address the hardship needs that can prevent Shoots from progressing at a consistent rate – examples of this include helping with family meals, and expanding the computer drive we ran in 2020 when many struggled to work from home because of a lack of tools. We are on a mission to develop professionals from various backgrounds that bring value to the music industry. If you have similar aims, we are here, with the kettle on, ready to work with you and develop new Shoots!” Eunice Obianagha (chairwoman, Small Green Shoots Board Of Trustees)
musicweek.com
PHOTOS: Isaiah Shittu
PHOTO: Coco Olakunle
PHOTO: Isaiah Shittu
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