BIMM OVERSEASAGENT HANDBOOK

CONTENTS• Why BIMM? ......................................................... pg.2• Life at BIMM ....................................................... pg.4• International Student Support at BIMM ....... pg.5• Application Process .......................................... pg.6• Visas and CAS .................................................... pg.8• Commission Claim and Payment Process ... pg.10• Frequently Asked Questions .......................... pg.1 1• Appendix: .......................................................... pg.13

BIMM International Office Contacts

TeamBrían McNamara | brianmcnamara@bimm.co.uk Head of International Development

Alan Sharman | alansharman@bimm.co.uk International Agent Coordinator

Bruno Lopes | brunolopes@bimm.co.uk International Recruitment Coordinator

GeneralInternational Office Address: BIMM London, Effie Road, Fulham, London, SW6 1EN, UK.Tel: +44 (0)208 749 3131Email: agents@bimm.co.uk Website: bimm.co.uk

BIMMDUBLIN

BIMMMANCHESTER

BIMMBRIGHTON

BIMMBRISTOL

BIMMLONDON

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- Student Personal Statement Guidelines - Sample Commission Claim Invoice - Agent Promotional Items

AT BIMM, WE’RE SELECTIVE IN OUR USE OF EDUCATION AGENTS. WE SEEK TO WORK WITH ORGANISATIONS THAT PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE TO STUDENTS; ONES WHO ARE RECOGNISED AS QUALITY SERVICE PROVIDERS BOTH IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES AND INTERNATIONALLY.

WHY BIMM?BIMM Institutes are located in five cities where music matters most, Brighton, Manchester, Bristol, Dublin and London (incorporating Tech Music School) – and is proud to be the largest and leading provider of contemporary music education in the UK and Europe. Our five Institutes have over 50 years of combined experience between them in helping students launch successful careers in the music industry. We offer a full range of Higher and Further Education music courses – from degrees and diplomas, to teacher training and part-time study. Our series of professional, real-world courses includes studies in guitar, bass, drums, vocals, songwriting, music production, music business, event management and music journalism.

BIMM Institutes work closely with a number of the UK’s leading Universities (University of Sussex, Bath Spa University, University of West London and Dublin Institute of Technology) who provide accreditation for a number of our programmes.

WELCOMETO THE BIMMAGENT’SNETWORK

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MASTERCLASSESOur recent Masterclass guests include:• Roger Daltrey CBE (The Who/

BIMM Group Patron)• Chuck D (Public Enemy)• Paul Weller (The Jam)• Imelda May• Graham Coxon (Blur)• Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, Paloma

Faith, One Direction)• The Script• Nick Raphael (President. Capitol

Records UK)• Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili

Peppers)• Jeff Beck• Ash Soan (Adele)• Steve Gadd (Eric Clapton)• Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson,

Jeff Beck)• Muff Winwood (Former Head of

A&R. Island Records, CBS, Sony Music)

• Nate Watts (Stevie Wonder)• Guthrie Govan• Jojo Mayer• Mike Stearn (BIlly Cobham, Miles

Davis)

STUDENT SUCCESSEvery year, we’re proud to celebrate a large number of our graduates who go on to work in the music industry – in fact, nearly 80% of our alumni make a living out of music and nothing else. Here are some of our success stories:

• Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien. Phil and Ed have truly taken the music world by storm as part of the phenomenal band Radiohead. To date they’ve sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide.

• The Kooks. Multi-million-selling indie-poppers The Kooks formed as a band at BIMM Brighton in 2002. Their 2006 debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’ is certified as four-times platinum in the UK, and its follow-up, 2008’s ‘Konk’, went straight into the domestic chart at No.1. The band is BRIT Award-nominated and won in the category of ‘Best UK & Ireland Act’ at the MTV Europe Awards in 2006.

• George Ezra. George joined BIMM Bristol in October 2011 to study Songwriting and was signed to Columbia Records less than a year later. Since then, George has reached No. 1 in the UK Album Charts with his debut record ‘Wanted On Voyage’, has had two UK Top 10 hits, has played Glastonbury twice and has toured the UK and Europe.

• Tom Odell. Tom studied Songwriting at BIMM Brighton. Since then he’s won the Critic’s Choice Award at The Brits, had a No. 1 with his debut album ‘Long Way Down’, played Glastonbury, been nominated for ‘British Breakthrough Act’ and ‘British Male Solo Artist’ at the BRIT Awards, and won ‘Songwriter of the Year’ at the Ivor Novello Awards.

• Charlie McLean – Biffco Songwriting. Biffco is the songwriting team behind hits for Kylie Minogue, The Spice Girls, Ellie Goulding, Little Mix and many more – and BIMM graduate Charlie works as assistant producer alongside the company’s founder, Richard ‘Biff’ Stannard. Charlie is rapidly developing her talents as an engineer, working with the likes of One Direction and Susan Boyle.

• Natasha Bent. A graduate of BIMM Brighton, Natasha is now a highly successful booking agent. She is vice president at The Agency Group in London, personally representing artists including Foals, The Knife, CHVRCHES and Foster The People, while The Agency Group’s wider roster features acts including 50 Cent, Bring Me The Horizon, Paramore and A$AP Rocky.

MUSIC INDUSTRY IN THE UK & IRELAND

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George Ezra photo by Robert Blackham

LIFE AT BIMMFrom the 1950s right up to today, the UK & Ireland has always been at the cutting edge of contemporary music. Whether it’s inventing new genres, responding to existing ones, or fusing together different styles, the British & Irish music scene is cool, fresh and creative.

At BIMM, we’re in a unique position. Our job is to help to build up the music network of our students, but because of our location at the heart of the world’s music industry, we’ll not only connect them to the British & Irish music industry, but the global one too.

We’re very proud to welcome students from all over the world. We believe our international students bring a welcome dimension to the vibrant BIMM environment. Contrasting cultures and musical tastes encourage our students to look at music from an alternative viewpoint, enhancing the whole experience for everyone.

Americas10%

Asia5%

Africa &Middle East

5%

Europe80%

OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT BIMMTotal student population: 4,500International student population: 800Number of different countries our students are from: 60

We welcome overseas students from across the world with the majority coming from European countries.

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We’re committed to helping our students fulfill their potential during their time at BIMM and we place an important emphasis on supporting their development both academically and personally.

Our Student Support Teams are available at every step of the student journey to offer confidential support and guidance on issues such as stress, alcohol and drugs, disability and learning support, family, friendship or relationship problems, smoking, eating disorders and anxiety.

As well as ongoing academic and practical learning support and advice, they also offer a wide range of additional support services designed to meet students’ academic and welfare needs, and enrich their BIMM experience:

Pre- Arrival• Accommodation support• Visa support• Lifestyle support • Transition support

(relocation to the UK/Ireland)

When studying at BIMM• General health advice• Health promotion• Counselling• Academic tutorials

INTERNATIONALSTUDENT SUPPORTAT BIMM

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ACCOMMODATION INFORMATIONBIMM has compiled an ‘Accommodation Advice Pack’ to help students find somewhere to live quickly and easily.

We can also help them to contact other students who are looking to find housemates – ‘The Accommodation Sharers List’ is sent to students in their Acceptance Pack and we’re also active on several social networking sites i.e. Facebook and Twitter where students can meet and talk about issues including accommodation:

For personal assistance for accommodation, students can email agents@bimm.co.uk

They will be auditioned for their chosen course and if successful a verbal offer will be made within 7 days of the audition, a contract will be sent to the applicant by email confirming all details of the offer, breaking down any fees if applicable.

To confirm a place, applicants must return their contract and pay the deposit (if applicable) within 28 days of receipt.

Demo application:Applicants will be sent a simple application form to complete, along with demo submission guidelines via email. This email will also confirm the date we will need to receive the demo audition.

Upon receipt, the demo submission will be sent to an admissions tutor for marking. A phone interview may be required before a final decision is made.

Within 7 days of a successful audition, a contract will be sent to the applicant by email confirming all details of the offer, breaking down any fees if applicable. To confirm a place, applicants must return their contract and pay the deposit (if applicable) within 28 days of receipt.

The Agent MUST email agents@bimm.co.uk to notify BIMM of each new application. This should be done as soon as the application has been submitted. All applicants for performance courses need to undertake an audition. It is possible to undertake a digital/online audition. For more information contact agents@bimm.co.uk

Direct Applications (Diploma level courses)All direct applicants must be auditioned before a place on a course is recommended.Applicants can choose to attend the audition in person at one of the BIMM Centres, or they can submit a video demo audition. When submitting a video demo audition certain courses may also require a phone interview. There are no deadlines for Diploma applications. However, we highly recommend that applications are made before the end of August.

Attending an audition:Audition guidelines will be sent to the applicant along with confirmation of their booking by email.

Applicants will complete an application form on arrival at the college.

APPLICATIONPROCESS

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UCAS DeadlinesThe deadline for on time UCAS applications to be received is the 15th January 2015 at 18:00.

All applications received by this date must be given equal consideration on places available.

Any applications submitted after this date will be considered as ‘late’ and can only be considered for a place once all on time applications have been processed and offers made.

The first deadline for offers to be made to on time applicants is the 31st March. We will therefore aim to have offers made to successful late applicants by mid May pending places available.

We aim to have applicants booked in for an audition/demo guidelines sent within 48 hours of an application being received. If the application is on time, and a place has been recommended we will aim to have a decision made within 7 days of an audition. All decisions and conditions of any offers are processed through Track on UCAS for each applicant

The last date an application can be made through UCAS is 30th June 2015.

For our non-performance courses (Music Business, Event Management and Music Journalism) applicants suitability for the course will be assessed based by the personal statement submitted on their UCAS application. Therefore we advise that this is made as relevant to the course they are applying for as possible.

For Music Production, applicants will be required to either:

1. Submit audio files to be reviewed by an assessor and have a phone interview2. Submit a portfolio of evidence – Details of this will be sent once an application has been received. The requirements differ dependent on the college the applicant wishes to study at.

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UCAS Applications (Degree performance courses – Foundation/BA/BMus)All applications for our Degree level courses must go through UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

To make an application through UCAS applicants will need to register at www.ucas.com

Once registered, all parts of the application form must be completed. There are many helpful guides on the UCAS website. We encourage applicants to use these guides if they experience any difficulties.

For best practice, please ensure the applicant states your agents company name in the box ‘Nominated Name’, on the UCAS Form, otherwise we cannot correspond with you regarding that applicant and you may not be eligible to claim commission for them.

UCAS FeesThere is a cost for submitting a UCAS application. The cost depends on how many course choices are added. These costs are payable direct to UCAS.

1 Choice: £12 Up to 5 choices: £23

APPLICATIONPROCESS (CONTD.)

VISAS AND CASVISA

Non-EU students require a visa to study in the UK or Rep. of Ireland.

UK Student Visa Applicants BIMM holds a Tier 4 Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) licence, which enables us to sponsor Non-EU Students on our full-time courses at both diploma and degree levels.

Our Admissions Team is available to give our students clear and concise information about applying for a Tier 4 Visa. We expect that our Education Agents are fully aware of the Tier 4 Visa application process and will provide students with in-country support and advice.

When should students apply for a Tier 4 Visa?

Students should apply for their visa well in advance of the course start date – we recommend they allow a minimum of eight weeks from the time they’re accepted on to the course. Visa applications can take up to nine weeks to be processed, so please ensure they don’t leave it to the last minute.

CAS A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is the document that is issued to a student by BIMM (the sponsoring institution). This accompanies their visa application. It’s an online form that’s used by the UKBA to assess a students’ application. It’s very important that they include the same evidence on the visa application as that stated on the CAS.

Please note:When helping an applicant complete an application form, you MUST state the applicant’s personal contact details – email, phone number and permanent address.

Due to new visa regulations, all countries are now considered high-risk and BIMM will not support a Tier 4 Visa application without all relevant documents being submitted, as stated in the offer letter. This means that each applicant has to submit a bank statement showing living expenses obtained to the amount of at least £9,000 for 28 days or more before a CAS number can be issued.

Rep. of Ireland Student Visa ApplicantsPlease contact agents@bimm.co.uk for further details on the student visa application process.

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CAS ISSUING GUIDELINES

Unconditional offer received by applicantApplicant has not exceeded allowance to study in UKApplicant has not previously studied a course at the same level or higher in the UKEnglish qualifications checked and approvedBIMM London and Dublin: (HE: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent*, FE: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent*)BIMM Brighton and Manchester:(HE: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent*, FE: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent*)BIMM Bristol: (HE: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent*)All locations require a minimum IELTS of 5.5 to be achieved in each band.*Please contact our admissions team for equivalent English Exams accepted by BIMM. Coloured copies of passport received by BIMM (front and back, visa page, inside photo)Copies of education certificates received by BIMMCopy of current Student/Holiday Visa received by BIMM (if applicable)Details of past visa refusals provided to BIMM, including the reason(s)Bank statement* showing living expenses obtained in the amount of £9,000 for 28 days or more (MUST include ingoing and outgoing transactions) received by BIMM. *If bank statement is in parent’s name, student must supply an unabridged birth certificate and letter confirming access to the account from the account holder.TB Screening documents (if applicable)Fees paid in full for first year of studyContract returned/UCAS offer acceptedAcceptance Pack received from BIMM

Once the student receives their CAS number, they can then submit their application for a Tier 4 Visa. For more information on student visa guidelines please visit www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa

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COMMISSION CLAIM AND PAYMENT PROCESSAgents must notify BIMM of each application they submit by emailing agents@bimm.co.uk as soon as the student’s application is submitted to BIMM.

Degree Applications:For best practice, please ensure the applicant states your agents company name in the box ‘Nominated Name’, on the UCAS Form, otherwise we cannot correspond with you regarding that applicant and you may not be eligible to claim commission for them.

Diploma Applications:For best practice, if an agent recruits a student to a diploma course, the agents’ company name must be stated on the students’ application form.

Please note: If a student receives counselling from your agency but proceeds to submit an application independently (i.e. the student does not record the agents name on the application form), your agency can still claim commission for the student by submitting a confirmation email to BIMM of the students’

application. This confirmation must be received within 48 hours (or 2 working days) of the application being received by BIMM.

Step 1:Please wait until you’re certain of all the students you’re going to claim for. For students starting in the October of a given year, claims will need to be submitted by 30th November.

Step 2: Invoices must be submitted on a fully completed pro-forma invoice (refer to Appendix B) and emailed to agents@bimm.co.uk. On verification, we’ll confirm the list of students you’re eligible to claim for.

Step 3:Once we confirm that the students’ fees have been paid in full we will process the commission payment within 30 days.

Please note (a) Commission claims sent before the students have enrolled will not be checked until after the start of term.(b) Commission is payable when the required tuition fees have been paid in full.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSQ: Do students need to come to the UK to audition?A: No. BIMM will email the demo guidelines for remote auditions to students overseas who are applying for Performance or Production courses. For Music Business and Event Management courses, we’ll assess the students’ suitability based on their Personal Statement. The Education Agent should be aware of the remote audition guidelines and be in a position to provide advice and support to the student at this stage. For Personal Statement guidelines, please see Appendix A.

Q: When do students need to arrive at BIMM before starting their course?A: Students will be sent an email confirming their induction date. Normally being the last week of September or the first week of October.

Q: Does BIMM offer a meet and greet/pick up service? A: BIMM offers an Airport Greeting Service. In the case of students arriving on a date or at an airport which might not be covered by the event, BIMM will try to provide the student with travel advice and support by email. Students are advised to contact agents@bimm.co.uk to confirm their arrival details.

Q: What happens if two or more agents claim commission for the same student?(a) The name of the agent whose agency name is on the students application form is considered the students’ agent for purpose of commission.(b) If the students’ application does not reference any agent, the agent who submits confirmation by email to BIMM first is considered the students’ agent for the purpose of commission.

Please note: This confirmation must be received within 48 hours (or 2 working days) of the application being received by BIMM.

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TERM DATES 2015/16Induction and Freshers Week:28th September to 2nd October 2015

Term 1:5th Oct to 11th Dec 2015 (Weeks 1-10)

Term 2:11th Jan to 18th March 2016 (Weeks 11-20)

Term 3:11th April to 17th June 2016 (Weeks 21-30)

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DEPOSIT AND TUITION FEE PAYMENT OPTIONSStudents have a number of Deposit and Tuition Fee payment options.

Option 1:Electronic Bank Transfer

Bank details:Pay to: Barclays Bank PlcAccount Name: BIMM Group LimitedIBAN: GB20 BARC 2097 0103 0911 20SWIFT: BARCGB22Account Number: 03091120Sort Code: 20-97-01

Payments should be referenced: student name, college e.g. “Peter Jones, Brighton”

Option 2:Credit or Debit CardPlease contact our Finance Team on +44 (0)844 2 646 666 and they will take any relevant card details over the phone.

Option 3:Via WebsitePayments can also be made through our website at: www.bimm.co.uk

Presentation is important. Personal statements should be well-written and articulate. Correct spelling, accuracy of grammar and diversity of vocabulary are all essential. Things to consider:

What you want to study at university and why• Specific aspects of the courses that

interest you• Your musical experience• Examples of coursework you’ve

completed• Practical work you’ve enjoyed• Books, articles, websites, etc., you’ve

read that are related to this subject area• Work experience or voluntary work

you’ve undertaken in this area• Conferences you’ve attended• Personal experiences that led to your

decision to take this subject• Where you hope a degree in this subject

will take you in the future• Experiences that show you’re a reliable

and responsible person• Part-time jobs you may have had• Any experience you’ve had with business

enterprises• Community and charity work you’ve

done• Sixth form committee experience you’ve

had

• Examples where you’ve helped out at school events and/or open days

• Any formal extra-curricular activity experience, such as Young Enterprise, World Challenge, Duke of Edinburgh Award, ASDAN Award, debating societies, Scouts, clubs, etc., and what you’ve gained from these experiences

Your interests and skills• What you like to do in your free time• Sport and leisure activities you take part in• Any subjects you might research or study

in your own time• Musical instrument(s) you play• Languages you speak• Prizes you’ve won or positions achieved in

your interests

APPENDIX A: STUDENT PERSONAL STATEMENT GUIDELINES

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APPENDIX B:SAMPLECOMMISSIONCLAIM INVOICE Agent/Company name and address:Date invoice created:Invoice to:BIMM Group. 38-42 Brunswick Street WestBrightonBN3 1EL

Invoice number:Purchase order number:

Student family name

Student first name

Course Level of study

BIMM location

Fee Commission

Grand total xxxx

Please ensure your agent/company bank details are included on the invoice.

AGENT PROMOTIONAL ITEMS The agent MUST promote BIMM on their website. Text and images will be suppliedto the agent by BIMM. The agent must email a link to the article on their website for approval by BIMM.

Typical agents pack:• 5 x USB containing BIMM video and

presentation slides• 100 x flyer• 25 x brochure• 4 x posters• 20 x merchandise items

If you’d like any items to use at education fairs or events, please email agents@bimm.co.uk with the details of how many items you’d like, and the contact name and address you’d like them sent to.

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