Usher is already setting course for one of the biggest R&B tours in recent memory, but the “Confessions” star is making sure one individual can get an opportunity of a lifetime.
His non-profit organization, Usher’s New Look (UNL), has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Detroit to introduce the Entertainment Industry Club: Live Touring Edition. The program centers on workforce development to help participants build career pipelines in the world of touring. The new initiative will feature 10 interns from the Detroit and Atlanta areas who are at least 18 years old, and those participants will receive hands-on training in aspects of touring, including production, operations and wardrobe.
“At Usher’s New Look, we’ve always believed talent is everywhere, but access is not,” Usher said in a statement regarding the initiative. “This program is opening doors and putting young professionals in a position to learn, grow, and work inside the entertainment trades.”
Applications for the internship wrap at 11:59 p.m. on May 9. Interviews with potential candidates will take place from May 11 through May 18, with the winners of the internship beginning their apprenticeship on May 27 and continuing through August 10. The R&B: Raymond and Brown tour begins on June 26, giving interns granted access to the program a bit of pre-training.
“The live touring industry is a multi-billion dollar global business — yet access to the entertainment trades remains limited,” Shawn Wilson, the President and CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Greater Detroit and co-founder of Usher’s New Look nonprofit, said in a statement. “Together, we’re changing that by placing young professionals on one of the most historic tours and turning access into real pathways to lasting careers.”
