NEW LOCAL FESTIVAL PROVIDES PLATFORM FOR UP-AND-COMING ARTISTS
An innovative new festival is offering performers the chance to showcase their music to new audiences with a set of unique one-day events taking place in rural pubs across Oxfordshire this summer.
Launching at The Plough Inn, Witney on Saturday July 27, 2013 and continuing till Saturday 25 August, the Walk the Walls Festival Tour will showcase break-through acts and up-and-coming local talent to rural audiences in 12 venues throughout the county.
Each venue will host its own individual showcase of new local talent and rural acts alongside break-through acts from across the country. With artists such as Colour the Atlas, Alex Fox, Nick Pendry, Ollie Sloan, Mahoney and the moment, and Oxford’s very own Matt Midgley already confirmed with endorsement courtesy of Oxfordshire’s Jack FM – Walk the Walls promises to provide community audiences with a unique musical experience.
Gaby Cartwright, Founder and Director of Walk the Walls Live Music Events, and recent graduate in Commercial Music Business from the University of Westminster, started her venture earlier this year after previous successes with the Kelmscott Festival in 2011 and 2012.
Cartwright’s Walk the Walls is seeking to expand on the success of Kelmscott by providing a similar experience to wider audiences.
“Our experience running the Kelmscott festival showed us that if you have access to a number of acts who are actively seeking new rural audiences and you combine that with a local community who enjoy live music, it can really have a great impact on that community and the artists within it. Not only that,” says Cartwright, “but it also has a two-fold effect on the way musicians and audiences enjoy sharing music. For a long time there’s been a general trend in the music industry that places urban towns and cities at the centre of local music scenes. Many local or rural artists find themselves focussing on how to break into these urban centres for music whilst on the other hand, a large proportion of bands bred within these urban communities have little reach elsewhere.”
“Essentially, we’re aiming to give local communities the chance to have high-quality musicians playing in their local pub without the need for a trip to an inner-city venue that charges for entry and only supplies one of the venue’s supporting brand lagers” Cartwright asserts. “Simultaneously the profits created by artists and publicans are filtered back into supporting the local community and local artists – whilst they get to enjoy some great new music in friendly local environment.”
With preparations for the tour still on-going venues and artists from across the county are being encouraged to lend their support by contacting Walk the Walls. Further announcements on confirmed dates and venues will be released later this month – but to find out what events are happening in your area and to contact Walk the Walls, please go to:
Walk the Walls Official Website