A youth promoter’s perspective: Kerry Baker

Kerry Baker is a 27 year old Youthwork Co-ordinator from Bowmore, Isle of Islay who was involved in GET IN as a youth promoter.

This blog was published in January 2018.

I was there from the beginning of the project so it feels like I have grown alongside it and helped it become the project that it is now. It has helped me achieve my goals and that brings a sense of achievement and maturity. Seeing the new GET INers makes you feel a bit of a oldie though!

I got involved in promoting through working on a festival since 2016. The idea came about to bring diversity and inclusion to all people in the community because I felt not everyone was being reached and there was a lot of social isolation. This got me started in promoting and listening to what people want to see. I grew up in a Gaelic and cultured household that was close to the community and I have always kept that with me, as well as my own experience as a teenager and relating to this new generation of young people. I think that’s what makes me different when deciding on what performances to bring, because community has always played an impact on my upbringing and I think that shows the importance of my local community in my promoting efforts.

The more I have progressed in GET IN, organising events and growing Island Music and Culture, the more I have learned that things take time. Patience is also important and I realised I have a lot of potential, that I underestimated greatly, and need to put to use now. It’s also good to remember there are people out there who you can ask for help and are happy to share their knowledge and expertise. Asking for help is something I have always found quite daunting from bad past experiences, but I have overcome it.

GET IN has created a new avenue of involvement in the creative industries that you might not have thought of. You can be creative in other ways that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a musician or a sculptor. GET IN can help you achieve this; to bring the arts to your community and explore your creativity in different ways.

GET IN has been great for networking – I really enjoy connecting with people and communities and I have really had fulfilment in this because I have lasting friendships and possible future partnerships in events. Being in on BBC Radio Scotland was a big perk and that was really enjoyable.

I like the intimacy of performing in a rural place, you definitely get more of a connectivity with people and the land than performing in the city in a larger venue. Through my experience of promoting, I hope performers take away this experience, culture and a feeling of home. I think the Highlands and Islands give a sense of home in the heart and I hope it encourages them to come back and promote it so other performers will want to come.