Mentorship helps emerging artists

Mentorship helps emerging artists

Melbourne indie artist and creative producer Yeo Choong is producing a number of musical programs as part of Library at The Dock’s music mentorship initiative.

Yeo is receiving mentorship from the City of Melbourne’s Docklands community animator, Kimberley Pierchalski, whom he said had helped him expand his network and learn about project management.

“It’s really stretching my boundaries a bit,” he said. “I have grown my network instead of just reaching out to the people I already know.”

“I’m learning the best way to communicate and this has improved my skills such as managing admin,” Yeo said.

With a background in electronic indie pop, Asian-Australian Yeo is leveraging his talent at the Sunday Lounge programs to break into the exclusive music industry.

“The music industry is quite white-male dominated. So my overall vision is diversity,” he said.

Every last Sunday afternoon of the month, Yeo facilitates a free and family-friendly Sunday Lounge Music session at Library at The Dock’s foyer.

He is helping emerging and often-unrepresented artists from diverse cultural backgrounds to get their voices heard.

The line-up over the six months includes artists such as Pacific Islander sisters Tatafu and female Zumba duo Party with Latinas.

Yeo said the financial support from the mentorship program had enabled him to take the program to the next stage.

“It has also helped with budgeting, because I can help emerging artists and give them the opportunity,” he said.

Yeo will continue to introduce a group of diverse talents to The Dock until May 2018.

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