The BOM Process
BOM ACTIVATIONS
These are used as buildup events towards the BOM Auditions. We normally go to the most-busy areas, like taxi ranks, shopping malls, etc., where we usually erect a stage and engage people of that area about the upcoming BOM intervention programmes that will be happening in their local surroundings. We usually use a mobile Stage & Sound solution, in each and every municipality that we travel to. We also make use of local radio presenters from all the respective public/commercial or community radio stations, to penetrate each and every local audience. We normally share this kind of activation on social media/digital platforms, to promote our auditions further and ensure maximum attendance.
BOM AUDITIONS
This is where we discover talent individuals from various art forms. Well experienced and reputable adjudicators are commissioned to judge all the talent that will be displayed in front of them, screening and eliminating all those who do not have a potential of going to the next round of the BOM competition. These activities are designed to happen in the Local Municipalities and in the zones, (when dealing with the metropolitan municipalities). The whole audition process is usually streamed live on social media and it is also recorded for later exploitation on more digital platforms for more audiences. All the selected participants will then qualify to proceed to the next competition round, which is the BOM District Festival. Results are usually available on the same day of the auditions.
BOM DISTRICT FESTIVALS
This is an event that happens in a district level of the municipality and it has an element of talent search competition and a live performance show platform in it, for further entertainment of the attending audience. Similar to the previous round, participants are also able to express themselves in all the other selected art-forms, performing arts, visual arts, and choral competition. This is also an opportunity for all the respective local business communities to participate in a meaningful way, to grow their markets, which will directly influence the creation of new revenue streams for developing artists. These are the District Municipality events that are being used as the feeders to the BOM Finale event, which is usually staged in Buffalo City Metro Municipality, in East London.
BOM WORKSHOPS
At this stage, we ensure that all Talent Search participants (who were selected from the auditions) with career potential are given an opportunity to attend the BOM workshops, where they will be coached well in their artistic skills, and they will be exposed to the business side of the industry that they are in. During these workshops, participants are also trained on how to use the available digital platforms for their own brands’ benefits, and digital devices are normally made available for the necessary workshop experiential training. This becomes part of the broader scope of the BOM Skills Development Programme which addresses the issue of scarce skills and it also assists in alleviating poverty within the creative sector. Such intervention usually encourages many participants and it gives them the necessary confidence they need for the next Talent Search round, which they are expected to prepare for.
