For the first time in his decades-long career, Usher is recruiting paid interns to join him on his upcoming co-headlining stadium run so they can gain experience across production, wardrobe and operations, among other areas.
The workforce development opportunity, which is a partnership between Usher’s New Look nonprofit and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit, is designed to open doors in live entertainment and concert touring, two competitive and relationship-driven industries.
The program will hire 10 interns across Atlanta and Detroit to join the North American leg of The R&B tour — which is co-headlined by Chris Brown — between June and August. Interns will work alongside industry professionals to contribute directly to live show execution. Before joining the tour, the interns will complete a weeklong training session focused on professional standards, safety and role-specific skills.
Interns must be 18 or older.
Shawn Wilson, co-founder of Usher’s New Look and president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit, said he doesn’t know of a tour of this magnitude that has had an official internship program.
“We’re solving for the lack of front doors to the entertainment trades,” Wilson said. “Talk to anyone in live touring. There’s a real need for good talent, so it creates a win-win where we’re connecting amazing young talent with the opportunity to become a part of an amazing industry.”
The initiative is an extension of the nonprofit’s Entertainment Industry Club, a program that provides real world experiences to young adults interested in entertainment careers. Usher founded the New Look nonprofit in 1999 to provide mentorship programs, training and other resources to underserved youth.
A key part of the intern roles is that they are paid.
The ideal applicant is someone who is serious about pursuing live entertainment and concert touring as a career. Wilson wants to see a portfolio of accomplishments demonstrating that intent. Aspiring artists looking to pass along their demo need not apply, he said.
“We definitely want to make sure that these are individuals interested in this industry that are looking at this as a catalyst to go to the next level,” Wilson said.
There’s a quick turnaround for applications, which can be accessed on the Usher’s New Look website. The window opened Monday and will close Friday. The trades available for the internship include multimedia, which encompasses social media coverage, and shooting video and photo content, wardrobe and tour production, which encompasses assisting with stage setup, equipment handling and show flow.
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