A stage doesn’t just hold a performer. It holds electricians, stylists, camera operators, logistics teams, sound engineers, and young people who rarely get invited into those rooms—especially young Black talent from cities like Detroit who know creativity but are too often locked out of the business behind it.
That reality is exactly what Usher’s New Look and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit are working to disrupt with the launch of a national internship program designed to place young adults directly inside the live touring industry.
Announced May 5, the Entertainment Industry Club: Live Touring Edition arrives with urgency—and a deadline. Applications close Friday, May 8, narrowing a short window for Detroit youth to step into a multi-billion-dollar global industry that has historically kept its doors closed to many.
This initiative connects directly to the 2026 North American R&B tour, where a select cohort of ten interns — ages 18 and older—from Detroit and Atlanta will move beyond observation and into execution. These young professionals will train and work across tour production, wardrobe, multimedia, operations, and community engagement. That means real work, real responsibilities, and real exposure to the machinery behind one of music’s most lucrative ecosystems.
Shawn H. Wilson, who serves as President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit and co-founded Usher’s New Look, framed the opportunity with clarity.
“The live touring industry is a multi-billion dollar global business—yet access to the entertainment trades remain limited,” Wilson said. “Together, we’re changing that by placing young professionals on one of the most historic tours and turning access into real pathways to lasting careers.”
Those pathways matter deeply in Detroit.
A city known for shaping global sound — from Motown to modern hip-hop — has long produced talent that fuels the culture. Yet access to the infrastructure behind that culture— the technical trades, production roles, and business operations—has not always been as visible or accessible. Programs like this begin to close that gap, offering something tangible: proximity, training, and paid experience tied to a major touring production.
Before stepping onto the road, selected interns will complete pre-tour training focused on professional standards, safety, and specialized skills tied to their assigned roles. That preparation signals something larger than a summer internship — it signals an investment in readiness, in professionalism, and in long-term employability.
Usher, whose career has spanned decades at the top of the industry, connected the program to a broader truth about talent and access.
“At Usher’s New Look, we’ve always believed talent is everywhere, but access is not,” he said. “This program is opening doors and putting young professionals in a position to learn, grow, and work inside the entertainment trades. It’s about giving them a real opportunity.”
That distinction — between talent and access — sits at the center of this moment.
For many Detroit youth, especially Black youth, creativity has never been the barrier. Opportunity has. Exposure has. Networks have. This program meets that gap head-on by placing participants inside spaces where decisions are made, shows are built, and careers are shaped.
Beyond the ten selected interns, the program’s reach extends nationally through “Spark Sessions: Making of the Tour.” These sessions will bring behind-the-scenes insight into Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, offering young people a window into the planning, logistics, and business of live touring. That expanded access builds awareness early, giving younger students a clearer sense of what careers exist beyond the spotlight.
As the tour travels city to city, interns will also take on leadership roles — facilitating community activations, hosting career workshops, and engaging directly with local youth. It ensures the program doesn’t stop with individual advancement but instead circulates knowledge back into communities that need it most.
Detroit stands at the center of that impact.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit has long served as a pipeline for youth development, mentorship, and opportunity. Pairing that infrastructure with a global entertainment platform creates a bridge between community-based support and industry-level access—something rarely done at this scale.
This program lands at the right time. It speaks to a generation that is both digitally fluent and culturally influential, yet often underrepresented in the technical and operational sides of entertainment.
Applications remain open now through Friday, May 8, under the Entertainment Industry Club section. Space is limited. The timeline is tight. The opportunity is real.
For Detroit’s young people watching from the outside, this program offers a different narrative — one where they are not just fans in the crowd, but professionals behind the curtain, shaping what the world sees and hears.
Access changes everything. And right now, that door is open.
