THE PLATFORM - ALL AGES OPEN MIC
Every Sunday, 1–4pm
The Platform is OSA’s weekly all-ages open stage, hosted by musician and performer Ginni Hogarth.
It’s open to musicians, singers, poets and anyone with something creative they’d like to share. Whether you’re an experienced performer, trying out something new or getting on stage for the very first time, The Platform is designed to be a welcoming place to do it.
Want to perform?
No need to sign up, just turn up!
The Platform is open to everyone. Bring your own instrument or use ours. We have guitar, bass and keys available, with a professional stage set-up including mics and monitors.
If you'd like to connect with other performers, hear what’s happening each week and become part of The Platform community, you’re also welcome to join our WhatsApp group.
A stage for every generation
One of the things that makes The Platform special is that it genuinely is all ages.
Running from 1–4pm on a Sunday means children, young people, parents and grandparents can all be part of the same afternoon. Our youngest performers have been just six years old, sharing the stage alongside experienced and professional musicians.
For younger performers in particular, having somewhere they can perform during the daytime is important. Many traditional open mics take place late at night or in age-restricted venues, leaving very few opportunities for young musicians to experience performing in front of a live audience.
The Platform gives them somewhere to start, build confidence and gradually find their own identity as musicians, poets and artists.
More than an open mic
The Platform takes place in OSA’s dedicated performance space, with a proper stage, professional sound equipment, lighting and a host to introduce each performer.
Just as importantly, people come to listen.
Rather than performing in the corner of a busy pub, artists get the experience of stepping onto a stage in front of an attentive and supportive audience. For someone performing for the first time, that can make a huge difference.
There’s also a wonderful mix of experience in the room. New performers regularly share the stage with professional and established musicians, creating opportunities to learn from each other, make connections and sometimes even perform together.
Just bring what you want to share
You don’t need an elaborate set-up to take part.
There’s a keyboard and guitar available, you can bring your own instrument, or singers can perform with backing tracks. There are also experienced musicians regularly at The Platform who can sometimes accompany performers.
As Ginni puts it, you really just need to:
“Bring yourself, bring your art and whatever it is you want to share with everybody, and just do it.”
For Ginni, who is a performer herself, The Platform is ultimately about joy, confidence and creating opportunities for people to express themselves.
Week by week, it is becoming a little Sunday community of its own, bringing different ages and levels of experience together through live performance.
The Platform takes place every Sunday from 1–4pm at Other Space Arts. Performers and audiences are equally welcome.