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THICK SKINNED PRODUCTIONS
Registered offices at: 3 Preston Cottages, Preston Road, East Linton EH40 3DS. Tel: +44(0)1620 861000
Registered in Scotland - No 276199
Thick Skinned Productions is a company which specifically sets out to raise funding and manage projects which are not otherwise commercially viable. We offer a route for artists within our sphere to further their artistic endeavours. We provide educational opportunities, develop artistic repertoires and open up new collaborations with musicians and/or organisations and other artforms, that would otherwise be unachievable. We encourage our four Directors to develop their ideas and projects, specifically in the areas where their expertise and skills lie, whilst looking for opportunities to develop and grow as a team and a company.
Thick Skinned Productions is a production/project-based company, that develops, funds and organises jazz education. We offer to artists, schools and students, a comprehensive service, with a range of services from high quality, large-scale projects, to providing information and contacts for specific instrumental teachers. We have an information website to market our services, our artists and their skills, projects and to give artists an opportunity to sell their own products. As part of our work, we continually research and maintaining links with other UK producers/festivals/educational establishments. Critical to all our work is that all our business is carried out with total integrity, honesty and professionalism and all work is of the highest artistic quality. Part of our activities will involve arranging and marketing tours for artists and the production of CDs and / or DVDs on their behalf. We are also in the process of producing radio shows for our "Thick Radio" station.
THE TEAM
The Scottish Jazz Development Programme team includes the four Directors of our company.
Suzy Melhuish has spent 12 years working in the jazz music industry in Scotland. She spent 6 years working with Jazz promoters Assembly Direct as a production manager and is experienced in touring, marketing, setting up and running educational projects that accompanied touring the promotion of live music in both Scotland, England and in Europe. In 1998 she was a founder member of Caber Music (Scotlands critically acclaimed jazz record label), where as a Director, she has worked in all aspects of artist development, recording, fundraising, showcasing and marketing the releasing of Scottish jazz CDs. She has also run a direct mail business selling CDs via Internet and mail for 5 years and has been responsible for budgeting. She has sound financial management skills and a BSc in Business Management with Distinction (Glasgow Caledonian University 1994).
Cathie Rae has been running her own Arts Administration Company (Alba Arts / Jazz Base) for the past 5 years, administrating and fundraising for the Fionna Duncan Vocal Jazz Workshops, organising and promoting tours in Scotland and England (working for Europe's biggest jazz promoter, Serious Productions, amongst others), and has just finished a contract as Programme Manager to the Glasgow International Jazz Festival. She has excellent administrative skills spanning 20 years, and her fundraising experience include raising over £300,000 for various charities and individual jazz music projects. She spent 7 years in sales with The Scotsman publications, which has given her an excellent grounding in this area. Cathie is also a professional jazz vocalist and has "first hand" experience of touring as well as an excellent rapport with the jazz community throughout the UK.
John Rae is one of the UKs leading drummers and composers and has run and toured his own bands (John Rae Collective and John Raes Celtic Feet, Big feet, Magic feet, New jazz, Afro/Celtic Jazz Ensemble) for the past 12 years. As an artist, living and working in Scotland, he is keen to develop opportunities for musicians and composers and to work collectively on developing ideas and bringing them to fruition. He is an experienced drum tutor.
Davie Gray runs one of Scotlands top recording studios (The Sound Café) where for the past 10 years he has recorded and mixed many of Scotland leading artists in the jazz, folk and pop world. His technical expertise in recording and live work plus his facilities for rehearsals along with the facilities for recording and producing DVDs makes up a core part of the production team.
