This past weekend, the Birch Green Artz Centre was buzzing with excitement as we hosted Sing It Live 2024, an interactive competition that showcased the talent of forty-four young people from Skelmersdale and West Lancashire. The stage was electrified all weekend long with energy and passion, as these performers sang their hearts out, competing for the live audience’s votes.
Sing It Live has its roots in the challenging times of the 2020 lockdown when’Sing It’ was initially launched as an online interactive singing competition which provided a creative outlet for our Artz Centre students while unable to leave home. Then building on the success of last year’s Artz Eurovision singing contest, this year’s event saw a merger of its two predecessors, bringing the Sing It competition to a live audience in an unforgettable display of young talent. This year, all performers competed in groups, therefore building their own bands for the competition. Last month in March 2024 we welcomed all of these bands into the Artz Centre to reveal the theme for Sing It Live 2024: Musical Icons.
“We wanted to dedicate this year’s Sing It theme to the legends and titans of music who inspire us all. From Aretha Franklin to Taylor Swift, musical icons bring people together. For some bands, the Icon that they had to pay an homage to they’d never heard before. Brilliantly this encouraged performers to go home and talk about the artist with their families. Grandparents were chipping in their two cents on which Beetles songs to sing. Big sisters were helping design Taylor-Swift style choreography, parents were telling their children all about the first times they heard Rod Stewart on the radio. A real shining example of how music brings us all together across generations”. – Joe Howard, Artistic Director
The format for the show was simple: audience members voted at the end of each performance night—Friday and Saturday—culminating in a weekend of suspense and excitement. The votes were tallied, and the air was thick with anticipation until the winners were announced.
And claiming victory with a standout performance were none other than: The Fireworks, a dynamic duo inspired by the musical icon Katy Perry. These two talented young artists from our infant academy delivered a performance that not only captivated everyone present but also earned them a whopping one hundred thirty-eight votes. Their energy and charisma on stage truly brought the house down, marking a highlight of the event.
Behind the scenes, the atmosphere was just as vibrant, with performers and staff alike contributing to a seamless and spirited event. From early rehearsals to the final curtain call, the dedication of every individual involved was clear. With over 200 people visiting the Birch Green Artz Centre over the weekend, it will surely go down in the Artz History books as a night to remember.
It won’t be long before another wonderful weekend of Live Music in Birch Green, as this August is the Scheduled return of the much beloved: Artz Fest. A weekend of live music brought to you by Skelmersdale’s best and brightest performers. To keep up to date on all things Artz Centre, be sure to follow all our social media channels on @artzcentre for Facebook, Instagram and X. As well as @artzcentre_ for TikTok
