Another talent show enters the fray

I meant to sit down and give channel Five’s first major attempt at a talent show “Don’t Stop Believing” a watch on Sunday night but other events transpired against me. It is being sold as a ‘Glee’ inspired talent show with each act having to put on a song and dance routine similar to those you see on Glee and performed by Show Choirs or Glee Clubs across the globe.

I think it is ingenious of Five to cash in on the success of Glee and is another twist on the talent show format but really underneath it all it is again a talent content based on singing and dancing. I am interested to see a show for myself as I want to see how they are handling the format compared with the likes of the BBC and ITV.

The one question I start to ask myself is are we in danger of everyone getting sick of TV talent shows as it only seems like the other day that “Over the Rainbow” and “Britain’s Got Talent” were ending and I am sure it won’t be too long before X-factor is back. I am sure we will get to the point soon where on every week on a major TV channel there will be a talent show of some description.

I myself am a big fan of ‘Glee’ and if it is encouraging people to set up similar groups and to sing and dance I am all for it. It will be interesting to see how the UK talent matches up to that of the US. I am glad that Five is giving things like this a go and are doing things to promote talent as it is only by trying these things that they will be able to find out if they can do it or not.

Will the ‘Glee’ phenomenon be a fad? Are we just copying the US? And if we are should we be? We would love to know your thoughts and you can do that by joining in our topic of the week:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=823

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

If it isn’t broke don’t fix it

This Saturday sees the return of the X-Factor to our screens in the UK. After many seasons of the same format this year the producers have made a range of changes including auditions now being held in front of live audiences instead of just in front of the judges to name just one.

Using the same format the X-Factor has been a hit in the UK for many years now but this is the first time the producers have played with the format. I’m not sure if this is because they are scared about viewing figures or people just want to make change for change sake.

If something is successful or you are successful you should keep doing things the same way as yes a change could make you even better but there is a risk if you change things up for no reason that it could make you less successful. If you are going to make changes there should be a purpose behind them and they should be well thought out.

It is hard in today’s world to find a winning formula and with things like TV programmes the viewers obviously like the programme for a reason and if you change it you may alienate those viewers that liked the programme before you changed it.

In a fast changing world there seems to be this atmosphere and culture of having to change to keep up with the times and for entities to keep evolving but I think it is important that we don’t go blindly in to this cycle and sometimes fight the urge to change some things.


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Being Equipped to deal with your Talent

Susan Boyle’s involvement in Britain’s Got Talent has brought this question in to sharp focus this week. Susan proved that there are people out there with amazing talents that the world doesn’t know about but her involvement in the show has provoked much debate over how we handle these people. To go from long term obscurity to worldwide fame in seven week is a daunting task for anyone so why should we expect people to be able to cope with it.

People looking at someone who has a talent and say they are lucky but to some people with talent it is a burden and a problem. Many talented people spend so much time working on their talent that they have missed out on social development and personal development as well as building on their maturity and emotional capabilities. I think it is important we spend more time with people who have talent equipping them to deal with their talent and to pursue their talent to the highest level.

Should TV shows and producers on programmes like Britain’s Got Talent be forced to do more to protect the people who perform on the show and do more psychiatric testing on them to see if they should be on TV? This show has made headlines with the people who have appeared on the show but has this series gone too far and are people now worried for the people on the show? Instead of being entertained the audience is now starting to feel uneasy with young acts breaking down in tears and a negative press campaign against a woman who has won the hearts of many.

People who have years of build up before they get famous for their talent still can have issues and problems with what fame brings so we shouldn’t be expecting people who haven’t had that to be able to deal with it. As the general public I think we need to be careful about the way we treat and react to people like this and shows like this as I don’t think TV shows and the press will ever change. Fame can be taken as quickly as it’s given but all the TV companies seem to be worried about are viewing ratings and advertising revenue.

Do you spend time perparing your self for the life you will lead when you become successful in your area of talent? How important do you think this is? Britain's Got Talent has brought this question in to focus this week and I would love to know your thoughts and you can share them by going to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=731


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

One Horse Race

For many weeks people have been predicting that Susan Boyle is going to win Britain’s Got Talent. She has had millions of people watching her performances on Youtube and has been featured in and discussed by media outlets across the world. Now my question I pose today is: Is it worth taking part in a competition which is seen as a one horse race?

With each semi final with only two going through from eight I think most acts are already thinking before they perform that they will be going out. This year more than ever I think they have put through novelty acts or strange acts just to make interesting TV and create media attention and unlike with previous seasons I think the audience at home has known as well as the acts themselves that they aren’t going to go through which I feel spoils it a little.

The way the semi finals are devised are unfair I think as so far all we have had go through our singing and dance acts when the show is suppose to be about variety. I think they should do a night for dance acts, a night for singers and so on so that in the final you get a good mix of talents. Also there should be less semi-finals as semi-finals in competitions usually means the final four or two matches when it comes to sport not five rounds of eight people.

As previous acts who haven’t won Britain’s Got Talent have proved you don’t have to win the competition to be a success like Faryl Williams and Escala for instance who have both released albums. So just because you know you aren’t going to win doesn’t make it a worthless exercise as with the right help and support you can turn your five minutes of fame in to a career or at the very least use the publicity to help get you gigs and to help promote yourself. I am sure lots of entertainers will be putting “As seen on Britain’s Got Talent” on their tour posters soon.

The thing with one horse races is that the voting public like their vote to make a difference and count so sometimes if a voter thinks that someone is going to win the competition with or without their vote they may vote for another act or some will vote against the favourite just to go against the grain. For an example of favourites not winning just look at last week’s American Idol where clear favourite Adam Lambert was beaten by the underdog Kris Allen.

I think Simon needs to be careful with Britain’s Got Talent as when it started it seemed to be about showcasing variety and a competition where anyone could win but now with every year the show to me just seems more and more like just a launchpad for Simon Cowell to showcase his latest star.

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Contracts - Are they worth signing?

Now many of us are aware of the lengthy and sometimes unfair contracts that music acts are signed to by record labels but nobody has really thought about contracts on the X-Factor. On the show each finalist is tied down to a contract which states that they can’t release any music until after the winner has released there’s and that they will have to take part in the X-Factor tour among countless other things I’m sure.

Scott allegedly wants out of his contract so that he can start releasing music now and not be restrained by the terms of releasing music on his contract. He obviously believes that his best chance of chart success is getting something out now before the X-Factor buzz dies down. If successful he would set a president and it would get other acts wanting to do the same so I a sure if he did attempt this it would be unsuccessful.

Ok the X-Factor contract may be restrictive but without it Scott wouldn’t have gotten on TV and had all the media buzz behind him so even if he does have to wait he still has a higher chance of success than if he hadn’t been on the show. The X-Factor tour is also great PR as he gets to perform to thousands of people up and down the country at the same getting paid a nice amount for doing so which without his contract he wouldn’t get the chance to do.

I think if this story is true then it is just another attempt to get media hype for being the first person to try this. I’m sure if Scott was still on the show he wouldn’t want to be released from his contract. Personally I think it is worth signing a contract like that for the opportunities that show can supply but it does bring back in to the spotlight the importance of reading a contract and thinking about the outcomes before signing one.

In this week’s topic of the week we want to know if you think contracts are unfair on the talent? Are the big record labels and TV shows wrong to tie people in to contracts> We want to know your thoughts. And you can share your thoughts by going to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=598


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

You never know where it might lead

I want to draw on a personal experience for this week’s blog which is all about making steps to change your life.

In life there are so many opportunities available to us and around us that we don’t take up because they may not be quite what we are looking for, not a big enough or important enough opportunity in our eyes. By doing this and not taking opportunities like this we never know where they might have lead.

Last month I started as a volunteer commentator for the SoccerSight programme ran by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. This involves providing a live audio description for football fans who are visually impaired and that attend live football matches. I found out about this through my local club Plymouth Argyle. I sent off an application form, went all the way to Swindon for a training day and got selected. Now if I hadn’t found out about this opportunity and followed it up I wouldn’t have got the opportunity.

So there is me having the time of my life commentating on Argyle games completely happy and content to do this forever more not wanting or expecting more and then all of a sudden I get the chance to go to Wembley. Wembley is one of the most significant sporting venues in the world and at the end of the month I have been invited to assist with the commentary for my second favourite sport American Football as the NFL comes to the UK. This opportunity all came about through my involvement with SoccerSight and if it hadn’t been for that this opportunity would have never come up.

So my message this week is to try something new and get involved with something as you never know where it may lead. My story is just one example but it doesn’t have to be like that it could just be that in trying something new you find a new passion or direction for your life or it may be that the experience of the opportunity can give you a chance to do something else that you wouldn’t have had without that experience. Always go in to everything you do by putting 100% in and always keep yourself open to any and all opportunities as you never know where something might take you.


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Pay it Forward

Many years ago the Pay it Forward movement began. Pay it Forward was an idea to change the world which started from one person doing a random act of kindness for someone and then getting the person who has received the kindness to go and do the same for someone else. The movement got that big that there was an even a Hollywood film made about it starring Kevin Spacey.

The principal for the idea is so good as it is an idea which is so simple, requires no money and actively involves people in helping to change the world. The only problem is that this system depends to society reacting to it and the person receiving the act of kindness to then go and pass it on in a way which will get the person they pass it on to, to pass it forward again.

However I think it is a great concept and one which can be used to help change the world for young people. It’s like if we could get one young person to go and inspire / motivate another young person and get that young person to do it to someone else then schools, youth groups and so on would better places with less bullying and students supporting each other.

All of us should always be looking for ways in which we can pay it forward. It just may be that you start a chain that makes real difference in this world. If at first you don’t succeed try again, even if the person you are passing it forward to doesn’t pass it on again at least you have done something nice for one person and you never know that person in years time may remember it and do something nice for someone else.

So why not start a Pay it Forward movement in your own school or local community, see what differences you can make.

This week our topic of the week is all about Paying it Forward and you can join in the discussion by going to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=579

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Delivering on Talent

In this week’s blog I want to talk about a situation every young person wanting to achieve something with their life will experience the moment they have to deliver on their talent. Whether it is a trial, an audition, an exam or a job interview everyone will have a situation where the time for talking and practising is over and where they have to show they are better than all the competition.

I got thinking about this subject this week because X-Factor is starting to reach the business end and because last weekend the football team I help coach kicked off their league campaign.

In X-factor before the weekend they had whittled it down from the first auditions and now all the hopefuls had one more chance to sing one more song and based on those couple of minutes would learn if they were going through to the next round. They had all been put their because the judges thought they had talent but if they didn’t deliver in those few minutes then it was all for nothing. Not giving a good performance wouldn’t mean they didn’t have talent but it would mean they hadn’t delivered on their talent. Being on TV in a situation like that the nation judges you at home on if they think you are good or not they don’t take in to account if you are having a bad day or if that song wasn’t suited to you as they don’t really know how talented you are or could be as they only see you for those brief minutes.

Now delivering on talent is a lot different in competitive sports especially team sports. In this situation delivering on your talent depends on a lot of factors including the opposition, your team mates, your tactics etc. As coaches we believe our team is good but it’s not until others see your performances and see your results that they will judge where you stand. It’s like we took our team to a tournament which was for children in the age group above our team but we wanted to test them. In that tournament we didn’t get any points and looking at the results some people would say they weren’t talented but the experience we got from that tournament helped us to win our first game of the season 2 – 0.

When trying to work out if someone is talented or not you can’t judge them on one performance or a few minutes. Talent is relative as just because you are the best at something in your local area it doesn’t necessarily mean you are better than somebody from another county as the competition in that area may be a lot higher. So if you are in a football team and you finish second in a very competitive league you may be better than a team that wins the league at an easier standard of football.

So just remember success isn’t always based on talent but you can use your talent to achieve great things. Like talent success is relative, if you want to achieve great things and push your talent to the furthest is can go you have to challenge yourself as winning a football match against a team which aren’t anywhere near as good as your team it doesn’t teach you anything or help improve your game but losing to a better team can help teach you things that will make you a better player and a better team.

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Noel's HQ

Now one of the main vocal points behind Talented Young People is our desire to see a better world for our youngsters to live in and to create a world of more fulfilled young people who have dreams and ambitions that they are working hard to fulfill. So Noel's HQ really struck a chord with us as the majority of the programme was highlighting how everybody can make their own positive difference to the world whilst highlighting people that already were which is what we are all about.

In a year in which we have seen a huge rise in the reports of teenage crime in newspapers and in a year which has seen the launch of the Talented Young People – Youth Manifesto, we believe there has never been a more important time than today to make the big and small changes the world needs.

We need more celebrities and people in power using their positions to help make this a more positive world to live in and it is great to see Noel Edmonds devoting his time to the cause. His TV show showed you how much difference you could make in ninety minutes. After the show had finished he had managed to sign up thousands of viewers to become organ donors as well as getting people to email in with offers of support in goods, services and time for people that were trying to change the world.

We need to fight on all fronts for this world whether it be TV, Radio, Internet or Press. We need to fight to reach people wherever they may be if we are going to change the world and make it a positive place for young people to live in.

I hope there are more programmes like this on TV but more importantly I hope shows like this encourage people to actually do something as it is the people on the ground who can make the real and big changes.


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Can you put an age limit on talent?

After my blog last week on the Olympics I want to follow it up with a blog which has a slight link to the Olympics. This weeks blog is about finding out at what age are young people ready to realise their full potential and talent in their area of expertise. We have youngsters in the Olympics at the age of fourteen, sixteen year old football stars and young actors & actresses on our screens but do we need to put more age boundaries in place to control at what age young people can compete and partake in certain things?

This argument was highlighted by Team GB’s youngest Olympian Tom Daley. In the year running up to the Olympics people were talking him up as a possible Gold Medal winner but when he made his debut in the synchronized dive he and his partner finished in eighth and last place. Tom has an individual dive event still to go at the time of writing this blog but if he isn’t successful in that then there is going to be much pressure on his young shoulders. After being talked up like he was he has had added pressure to perform and if he started believing the hype he will be very disappointed when he gets back home. This fourteen year old will also have to deal with any taunts from his jealous peers at school who may make fun of his achievements.

In sports if you are going to let young people compete you have to create an age requirement which is based upon giving them the best chance to compete physically with their competition. This has to be dependent on the sport in question as some sports are more or less physically demanding than others. This age bracket doesn’t mean everyone should compete when they get to that age or that they should compete it should just be there as a minimum.

Next you have to look at if the young person is emotionally strong enough and mature enough to deal with reaching that level with their talent. There is a difference to entering a sporting event for individuals than representing your county on the biggest stage like the Olympics. So you may be ready to perform at a national or international event which doesn’t have much press coverage and where you are only competing for yourself but that doesn’t mean you are ready for the Olympics. Your talent may be good enough but your ability to handle the situation may not be good enough.

This is the same in the arts as a young person maybe emotionally ready and mature enough to handle performing at a small local venue but not ready for a huge arena with lots of press coverage and thousands of fans. Young people may be to handle and understand their ability but may not be able to deal with the adoration of fans properly without it going to their head or changing the way they feel or act.

If you look at the English Premiership football league it puts this discussion under the microscope as some teams are ready to put their youngsters in the starting line up at sixteen where some will keep them on the bench and use them sparingly to build up their experience. Again there isn’t a one size fits all approach and each young people with talent needs to be handled individually as it may be that bringing someone on to early or late in their career could have a big negative effect on their long term success.

So in summing up yes I do feel that for some things there needs to be an age bracket but on the whole it needs to be looked at on a case by case basis. Although Tom Daley may not have been as successful as he hoped it could be this experience at this age which really sets him up for a long and successful career and without it his career may not have gone on to such future heights so this needs to be taken in to consideration as well. I think people need to stop expecting so much from young people with talent but instead give them the support they need to grow and develop.

We here at Talented Young People would love to know your thoughts on this. At what age should young people be allowed to compete at the Olympics? Can you put an age limit on talent? Join in our topic of the week by going to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=534


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
”Shaking up the Youth of Today”

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

What is Talent?

In the UK millions of people are getting caught up in the second series of Britain’s Got Talent. After a successful first series and after the concept being sold to TV networks across the globe the UK’s thirst for TV talent shows still remains. For those that don’t know anything about the show it’s a talent competition with the winner getting the chance to perform in front of royalty at The Royal Variety Show (wonder what winners in other countries win?)

The series has got me thinking and has been a subject of many conversations I have been having recently. The show brings up the question of what is talent? The show has no limits and is just about people performing in front of the judges which has meant we have seen some weird and wacky people and talents on display from people breaking things over other peoples bodies to people re-enacting theatre whilst using a bouncy castle as their stage.

The next question it raises is what level or standard do you have to be at something to be considered talented? Many people have claimed to be able to say what talent is and what standard you have to be at to be considered talented but I don’t think it’s that simple as talent is something very subjective.

I think it’s hard in a show like this to say who is the most talented as I think you can only say who is the best performer. Contestants only get a minute or so to perform one act to the judges in order to progress to the next round. With this set up I think it is possible for people who may not be so-called talented but who are able to perform brilliantly to give that illusion. It’s like someone may not be a great singer but can perfect one song which they have been working on for years and go in and impress the judges.

The show as well as showcasing the best of our country also promotes the worst side of our society by encouraging the live audience to boo off any act they don’t like. It’s like a pack, one starts jeering and they all join in getting some pleasure out of watching someone break down or go off stage. In this country people seem to be ridiculed for being different or standing out for actually having the guts to try something. I have got a lot of respect for anyone that goes on shows like this and gives it a go as it is not the easiest thing to do.

So going back to what is talent? To me talent is something that people dedicate themselves to and show that they can do better or different than other people and who are always improving and wanting to improve.

Have you got on opinion on what talent is? Then why not get involved in our topic of the week and give us your thoughts by going to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=428

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Award Ceremonies

February seems to be awards month with many awards evenings, events and presentations taking place. If you live in the UK you will have been aware of the Brit Awards which recognises musical talent in the UK and if you live in the US you would have been aware of the Oscars event which recognises talent in the film industry.

Now award shows are great especially when it is you that is getting an award. Watching awards is also fun if you follow the industry in which the awards are taking place as you always have your own personal favourites that you think should or should have won.

The one problem I have with awards is that in many award shows you never know what actually happened for that person act or piece of media to get the award. They say things like judges or the board voted but you are always left wondering if an act deserved to win or if politics, personal agendas or power struggles behind the scene had anything to do with it. That is why I prefer awards that are decided by the fans. It is the fans that put the money in to an industry and keep it going and they are the ones that are important. Films and music are made to attract an audience so it is the general public who should be the judge.

The thing that got me thinking was that in an arts and entertainment world how do you decide who should win an award how do you work out who the best actor / singer is or what the best film is. In sporting competitions its easy to see who the best is as they can compete against each other and the result is dependant on their own performance not influenced by other people. In arts and entertainment you can work out who the most popular artists or films are by sales but how can you say who is the best? It is all subjective as different people like different things so to have awards which are best this or best that I think are wrong as really they are just the people who the judges liked the most.

Here is another thought if someone is more popular than another does it mean they are more talented than less popular artists? If this is true are the most talented people already established artists or are there a horde of people more talented than popular acts who nobody knows about?

To share your thoughts on awards or awards ceremonies join in our topic of the week by going to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=366

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

American Idol

Hot off the heels of UK talent series X-Factor, American Idol has launched on to our screens in the UK this week. The series premiered a couple of days earlier in the states that it was aired in the UK where it is a weekly ratings winner on Fox and in a prime time slot. Here in the UK we have to tune in to ITV 2 to catch the first screenings at a decent hour or wait and hope that it is shown during the day on the main ITV channel.

I think it is brilliant to be able to see talents shows from different countries as by watching them we can make general assessments about talent levels in comparison with our own nation and know if we are falling behind.

I feel American Idol has a very different feel to UK shows like X-Factor. On American idol when they show the audition stage its edited together in a way which makes you think that all the auditionees think they are great and that the judges expect to have quality performers in front of them. As soon as they get in to the audition though it’s like the judges can’t wait to bring them down. The programme seems to be very orientated around the American Dream philosophy.

Now I’m not saying the judges don’t like bringing them down on the X-Factor but I feel our contestants on the whole have lower expectations and that the judges don’t go in expecting greatness like they do in the US. Also the way it’s edited is different to American Idol, it’s not done in the same set the contestant up for a fall type of way.

I enjoy watching both shows, as I love seeing the talented people shine through. It’s also good to see different types of talent and different voices shine. In the UK the voices are influenced by Pop and Indie whereas in the US it’s more of a Country, Gospel, Classic Rock influence.

The one thing about these shows that scares me is burnout. I will always want to see talent shows on TV but with the constant 12 month cycle of talent/celebrity shows the ITV have at the moment they will soon lose their appeal to the masses. As soon as a talent shows loses its appeal to the masses then there is little point to it. On ITV you can almost tell beforehand without seeing adverts what the next series is going to be when the current one finishes as we cycle through shows like Dancing on Ice, Soapstar Superstar, I’m a Celebrity, Britain’s Got Talent, X-Factor, American Idol etc. I know the BBC aren’t much better in this respect with their dance and musical programmes.

I will leave you with one last thought. I know we all like to be entertained but when you are laughing at the auditionees who maybe not so good as others remember they are human beings and are brave for giving it a go on national TV.

As part of our discussion topic of the week we would love to hear your thoughts on American Idol. Have you caught the first few episodes? What do you think? Do you prefer it to X-Factor? We want to know, follow the link to join in:


http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=323

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack

Over the last 10 years our TV screens have been bombarded by reality TV shows and TV Talent contests. The names of the programmes have changed and the situations the contestants on these shows have changed over the years but the formula has never changed.

Times are changing though as now the guys behind the TV series ‘Big Brother’ have come up with a new concept titled ‘Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack’. The show is due to air in early 2008 instead of the usual yearly celebrity Big Brother series.

This time round they are asking not for the most outrageous young people like they usually have in the regular Big Brother series but instead they are asking for young people with talents and young people with inspiring stories to come on the show.

What the show will entail is still under wraps but this is one of the biggest opportunities given by a reality TV series for young people with talent to get some major prime time TV coverage. I take my hat off to the guys behind this programme as this is just what we need. If you read my blog I wrote about Big Brother on the first week of the last series you will see this is exactly what I was calling for.

People in the past have played around with the Reality / TV Talent show idea in the past like Fame Academy on the BBC but that was first and primarily a talent show with the reality side of it just being a side point. It is completely fresh for a TV programme to focus on the reality side first with a talent element involved. As Endemol have proved with Big Brother that you can get some get incredible ratings and gain national interest through reality TV and if they can use that expose talent to the nation then it should make for a brilliant programme. At the end of the day regardless of the format it is about getting the most people possible tune in on the TV to watch these talented young hopefuls as it is only by getting a lot of people watching that they will have a chance to launch their careers.

It’s going to be brilliant to see a reality TV show which isn’t about people who want to be celebrities and famous just because they were on Big Brother but instead talented people who want to use the Big brother experience to showcase their talents to the world.

If you are aged between 18 and 21 and want to apply go to:

http://www.channel4.com/bbhijack

If you want to talk about this show or Talent / Reality TV join in our topic of the week on our forums by going to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com

Fame Junkies

Recently I was sat at my local train station and I saw a billboard advert for a book by Ben Elton titled ‘Chart Throb’. The book I believe is a comical / satirical look at reality TV shows like Pop Idol and X-Factor with a fictionalised story based on the people who enter, are involved in or watch these programmes. I am yet to read a copy but after doing some research I have found out that this book has been out for some time but has recently been released in to paperback.

I may one day pick up a copy as it sounds like an interesting book but it wasn’t the story that got me interested in this billboard it was the tag line at the bottom of the billboard which caught my eye which read ‘Fame Junkies’. This got me thinking and the more I thought about it the more I agreed with it. We are now living in a society where it seems that everyone is a fame junkie and wants their five minutes of fame.

People now no longer care about being talented or being good at something they just care about being famous. Programmes like X-Factor, Pop Idol etc give these people the chance to be on TV as it seems that the worse you are at singing the more chance you have of actually getting on TV and in to millions of home across the country.

This attitude and culture over the last few years has now crossed over to the Internet as the internet continues to grow. People can now make videos & MySpace profiles and have millions of people viewing their pages. Unfortunately it’s not always the talented people showing their talents that get millions of views normally the ones that get viewed are the ones that depict people doing things which require no talent.

I’m all for people using websites like Youtube and MySpace to showcase their talents and actively promote it as it is a great way of getting your work to the masses but I just hate it when people who are ‘Fame Junkies’ get more exposure than people with real talents.

This world needs an attitude and a culture change we need to stop being a world of ‘Fame Junkies’ and be a world of ‘Talent Junkies’ who are always striving to be more talented and wanting to show off their talents. As it is only real talent that can guarantee you long-term fame if this is something you chase.

I think this very apt and needs to be said in the wake of the Big Brother final as now these ‘Fame Junkies’ who starred in inverted commas on this show now try and cash in on their fame but I can tell you now that they will be lucky if we remember their names in six months let alone a year.

The only way we are going to change the world and become a better, stronger youth generation is by all taking an active role in becoming ‘Talent Junkies’ as if you control your talent you control your life and the opportunities available to you. If you are a ‘Fame Junkie’ you can’t guarantee that you will find fame as you are relying on other people to give you an opportunity and your fame is in the hands of the public but if you are a ‘Talent Junkie’ you can control your future. We need to start getting addicted to talent and not fame, we need to have the desire to be more talented not more famous.

Let us know your thoughts on this matter by getting involved in our topic of the week on the forum:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=165

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

Britain's Got Talent

Were you one of the ten million people who tuned in “Britain's Got Talent” last week? Were you entertained by the variety of talents on display? I know I was. I was jumping up and down in my chair to see new and different talents that haven't been given the chance to be showcased in a prime TV slot in front of millions for over a decade; finally the art of variety is back. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of programmes like "Any Dream Will Do" and "X-Factor" but this programme to me was a breath of fresh air as finally people had a chance to shine that haven't had that chance in any other show.

In recent years on TV we have been obsessed with having talent shows which are all about one style of act whether that be singing or acting and for years we have been obsessed with having to find someone that can go on and make millions of pounds. Finally in this show it wasn't about finding someone who they could make millions off ok the winner got £100,000 it was about finding somebody with a skill that the public enjoyed to watch. Many people have talents and skills that they know they aren't going to make money off of but it doesn't make that talent any less special or that they shouldn't be given the same platform to showcase it.

The programme also showed a true wide range of people unlike some talents shows and for once they were from a real cross section of our communities in the UK who made it on to the final shows. The programme wasn't just about their talent it was about where they came from and how they got their which is just as important as the talent that they showcase. It's their inspiring stories that can make a difference as much as their talents. They found some really extraordinary people and extraordinary stories which I hope encourage other people to fulfill their dreams and to try new things. Hopefully by watching the programme people thought, hang about it's not what about my talent actually it is it's about how good I am at it, how I present it and how much I love doing it. Whether it be tidily-winks or football a talents a talent regardless of what it's in and one talent is no more important or better than another. We need to appreciate everyone for their talents no matter how wild and wacky they are.

The only downside to this programme was that it was only people who had a talent that could be conveyed well on TV that could get on. There are millions of people around the world who have talents and skills but these can't be presented well on TV so they are still flying under the radar. So I think we need to find a way of getting people will skills that can't be conveyed in an entertaining way for TV some exposure.
It's like if you are the UK's top business man, UK's most intelligent,
UK best counsellor and so on. All of these are talents that people have to work hard for and deserve the same amount of respect and appreciation as the skills and talents that were showcased on the
programme.

I can't wait for the next series and I was so proud of the amount of diverse talents the youngsters of today have. I hope everyone that went on to the show has used it as a learning experience and will go on to even bigger and better things. Just want to say a big well done to everyone that entered and if you didn't enter why not enter next time. Work on a talent or find a new talent and fill out the application form. Even if you entered this time round by why not enter the next series now you have a step up on the competition with one series worth of experience under your belt you could be the next “Britain's got Talent” champion and perform in front of the Queen.


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

Eurovision Song Contest

Did you join the ten million people in the UK who watched the yearly phenomenon that is the Eurovision Song contest? Again the competition was filled with unusual costumes, routines and presenting but most importantly an array of talented young people. All of this was of course coupled with a vote which was based more on geography, history and politics than the talent they actually saw on screen.

In a fair and just world it would be the most talented act that would win every time but the voting you see on the programme represents the state of the world, where it's not always the best people that win or get the best rewards. The world would be a great and easy place if it was always the most talented and deserving people that finished first all the time but that doesn't mean that talent and belief can't get you to where you need to be in the world.

No matter how fair or unfair the world is no one will ever know if they are the most talented person in their field or industry. The pop act that are number one in the charts are the act that have sold the most singles or downloads that week. The world’s fastest sprinter is only the world’s fastest sprinter because someone was there with a stop watch and recorded it he didn’t beat everyone in his division in a race. To add to this you have to think about the people who haven't got recording contracts or haven't competed in an athletic event as there are many people with amazing talents who either don't get the breaks at the right time or pursued their talent. Then there are the people who have talents that they don't know about.

After reading that you may be feeling a bit of doom and gloom but to be armed with this information is a positive thing as by knowing these facts you should start pushing harder not just to be better than the people you are in competition with but to have your own personal competition to keep bettering yourself and to not stop. You should always be looking for new challenges and not stay in the box in which you or your industry has been defined.

Going back to the Eurovision there has been a lot of press this week saying that countries should pull out of the competition because it is deemed not winnable. Now yes granted the competition isn't based on talent but it doesn't mean we should pull out of it. I think instead we should enter talented young acts that need experience of working in front of a crowd or being on TV. UK's entry Scooch may have come back home with an appalling point score but they have gained the experience of performing at the competition, been seen by millions around the world, are now featured on a Eurovision CD and DVD and have had major press attention in the UK. Before the Eurovision it may have been Scooch who but they now have a platform to do even greater things from.

Even if you think you have no chance of winning a competition or you think that the competition is not winnable you shouldn't not enter. The entering of the competition and the experience of competing is what we gain from it. A lot of the time we learn more from losing than winning. If you feel like you can't win then start competing with yourself and pushing yourself to give the best performance you can and to learn as much from the experience as possible.

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

Known Talent

Following hot off the heels of the “Unknown Talent” series of blogs this week we have decided to turn our attention to talented young people who are already gaining wide attention for their achievements.

This week one of the top youngsters bagging all the headlines in the UK has to be Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo. Say what you want about some of his actions and behaviour on and off the pitch but last weekend this precocious twenty two year old showed what a talented young person can do if given the chance as he played an important part in their win over Manchester City which proved to be the decisive victory as his side Manchester United clinched the Premier League title.

When talented young people are thrust in to the limelight because of their extraordinary skills they quickly find themselves under a lot of pressure with legions of fans and legions of people that take a dislike to them. On top of this they are immediately cast as role models for the youth of today. Some young people can deal with this and have the maturity and character to handle all the aspects that go along with the life they have been given because of their skills but some young people only have their skills and don’t have the ability to deal with the other aspects.

If the talent or dream you want to pursue is going to see you thrust in to the limelight you have to not only worry about your skills being up to scratch you have to make sure you are ready to deal with life in the limelight. I know the limelight is something which is really hard to prepare for because until you have lived that life you can never fully appreciate what you are getting yourself in for. Their have been many talented people who have had the talent to compete and perform at the highest levels but haven’t had the personal skills to deal with the pressure or the lifestyle so if you have an amazing talent make sure you are ready not to throw it away.

Now going back to the issue of young people being role models. Many young people find it hard to be role models as whilst they are asking to be role models they are still developing and exploring their own character and their lifestyle so I think it is very hard to ask every talented young person to be a positive role model but we as a world need as many as we can get. I’m not saying don’t look up to other talented young people or not to be inspired or to have heroes but remember just because you appreciate the talent they have it doesn’t mean you have to live the lifestyle or act just like them. Use their abilities to inspire you, to learn from and to drive you but remember when you make it, it’s going to be your job to inspire the youth of today and tomorrow.

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

Unknown Talent 2

Now last week in the blog I talked about young talented people who have already achieved great things or have unbelievable talents but haven’t been noticed or got the attention that they deserved. This blog I want to talk about the talents that people have which are unknown to even themselves.

As no one person on this earth has enough time to try everything there is in the world many people live their lives without knowing what hidden talents they possess and I’m not talking about superhuman hidden powers like the X-Men or Spiderman. This is why I really feel strongly about young people challenging themselves and trying their hands at as many different things as possible.

When I was young the school I went to were always arranging trips to go and do things like bowling, ice skating, skiing and a whole manner of things which I wouldn’t have probably done if it hadn’t been for school arranging the trips. When we went on these trips most of the time no one in the group had done the activity before but there was always one that picked it up first or was better than everyone else.

It would then annoy me when the said person who was good didn’t then pursue the activity or try a few more times to see if it was for them. I always remember thinking to myself I wish I could bowl a strike like him or I wish I could skate like her. Some youngsters would love for things like that to come naturally to them but to see people who could actually do it not caring really use to get me wound up.

So my message to everyone reading is try as many things you can and if you find yourself doing well at something to begin with then investigate pursuing it. Even if you are not sure it is always great to have another talent or skill under your hat. If you don’t find something coming naturally but you like the activity don’t panic the people that can pick things up naturally are in the minority and you can be just as good or even better than you peers with a bit of practise and a lot of determination.

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

Unknown Talent

This world is filled with many talented and successful young people but not many people know about most of them. When a young pop star, film star or sports star just as much as breathes they are all over the papers but I want to dedicate this column to the people who are just as talented and some as successful but never get a mention.

This weekend I have been invited to attend a huge professional wrestling event in Liverpool called the King of Europe cup and one of the wrestlers who will be fighting for the cup is one of the most talented young wrestlers in the world. The man I’m talking about is Ben Satterly better known to wrestling fans as “Pac.”

This precocious twenty year old nicknamed “The Man That Gravity Forgot” has performed to live crowds all over the country and has even been flown over to the States to perform on a new wrestling show airing on MTV called “Wrestling Society X.” So this is a guy who has won many titles, performed to thousands of fans and already worked in America on international TV at the age of twenty.

Say what you will about professional wrestling but for someone of that age to have achieved the amount that he has in any industry or discipline is very impressive and I bet there are many more people out there like Ben who have achieved great things in their lives and careers but because they’re not a professional or signed up to a record label or agent you never here about them.

There is so much talent out there most of which is probably right under your nose so I urge all of you to take time to support local talent and to find out about talented people in your neighbourhood. The people that have made it in the terms of got a contract or a job still need our support but because of the PR and press they get they will have people following them regardless it’s the local talent that doesn’t get the press and PR besides a small clipping in a local gazette that need our support.

I will be trying to secure an interview with Pac this weekend for the website but for all of those interested in finding out more about Pac go to his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/themanthatgravityforgot

Or you can see him live this weekend April the 28th and 29th at the Liverpool Olympia for the “King of Europe Cup” for more details on how to buy tickets log on to http://www.koecup.com

Or if you know of a talented young person that needs some support remember to go to http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/