Calling all budding musicians - a free busking academy is launching at Wembley Park.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Nicola Hogg busking at Wembley Park (Pic: Gary W Smith)Nicola Hogg busking at Wembley Park (Pic: Gary W Smith) (Image: Archant)

The first ever Busk in London Academy Day is taking place on June 3 in the SSE Arena in Engineers Way.

The event is part of Gigs, the Mayor of London’s annual competition for the capital’s best young songwriters and performers aged 11-25.

Open to up to 80 participants, the one-day academy will focus on preparing potential entrants to make a successful entry to the competition.

This includes advice and training on how to get the most out of the two week live performance period which will run from Saturday July 22 – Sunday August 6.

The Grand Final is being held on September 3 at Westfield in Stratford with prizes including a London Underground busking licence, Roland busking equipment, time in a top London recording studio and a busking trip to Paris.

The academy day, which is totally free, will be led by experienced industry practitioners offering practical sessions including vocal and physical health for performance, stage craft, repertoire, audience engagement, equipment knowledge and advice on how to market talent.

The day will end with a Q&A with all session leaders and a guest performer.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said: “Wembley is the perfect place to host the first Busk in London Academy as it has played host to countless world class musicians over the years, many of whom, I’m sure the musicians have been inspired by.

“Wembley Park has undergone huge investment in recent years and the improvements are continuing to attract exciting events and visitors to the area.”

James Saunders, ceo of Wembley Park’s developers Quintain, said: “We’re thrilled that Wembley Park is hosting the first ever Busk in London Academy Day on 3 June. We look forward to welcoming fresh talent from across London to perform at a destination alive with activity and experiences and within touching distance of two of the world’s most famous performance venues.”

Online applications for the Gigs Academy Day can be found at buskinlondon.com/gigswembleyparkTo enter the Gigs competition go to London.gov.uk/gigs. Budding buskers have until June 9 to register.