OneFest hits the road bridging the ‘North-South divide’ in 2019 with ‘twin city’ festivals in London & Sheffield

26 July 2019 - Press release

Shabaka Hutchings curates to provide a platform for grassroots music industry talent

The Leadmill, Sheffield Saturday 14^th September

EartH, London on Sat 21^st September

“OneFest 2019 has given me an opportunity to bring different generations of musicians together ... educating and expanding minds ... breaking those unnecessary North/South boundaries that have evolved within the music industry” Shabaka Hutchings

“The ‘North south divide’ continues to damage the future success of the music industry. It is a moral and psychological chasm that needs change. It’s certainly not cultural but it’s definitely financial. Part of OneFest’s remit is to tackle this, reconnect with the lost youth born on the wrong side of an invisible barrier and connect the talent to the business, the lost towns to the capital. OneFest listens to what people need and finds solutions.” John Robb

Award-winning festival and non-profit music development organisation OneFest makes a major return in 2019, taking to the road for the first time with a new ‘twin city’ festival concept in Sheffield and London.

 

Curated by Mercury Prize nominee and superstar of British jazz, Shabaka Hutchings (Sons of Kemet, The Comet is Coming) and masterminded by OneFest co-founders Sandra Bhatia and Stephen Budd, the festival aims to highlight the obstacles faced by emerging talent embarking on music industry careers, with particular focus on a major challenge – the North/South divide.

OneFest combines an inspired daytime training programme, talent search, daytime workshops, with panels chaired by award-winning journalist and author John Robb and speakers includingartists John McClure (Reverend and the Makers), Shlomo, Thomas Haywood (The Blinders) and Skinny Pelembe. There will also be an exciting series of special one-off evening concerts across two centres – one in the north and one in the south.  It brings together a cohort of seven young people from the North, who will receive support and education, showcasing opportunities, as well as practical experience, receiving a unique platform to learn about, and overcome many of the hurdles and challenges they face.

One of the original, pioneering social conscience music festivals, OneFest returns after a year’s hiatus following its hugely acclaimed ‘Lost Evenings with Frank Turner’ in 2017 at London’s Roundhouse.  Its ambition is even bigger in 2019.  This year it aims to highlight many of the obstacles young people face in getting a foothold into the industry faced at grassroots level, be it access to funding, mental health or gender equality, as well as the ‘North-South divide’.

Working collaboratively with a growing list of partners, OneFest 2019 highlights include:

• Training - Selected by Shabaka Hutchings, a cohort of seven young people (who have come though Doncaster-based organisation Higher Rhythm) will attend an industry-standard 4-day training programme led by experts from MMF, PRS for Music, PPL, PRS Foundation. Topics include Music Management, Funding, Touring and more. The cohort will be given the hands-on opportunity to perform, speak and work as production staff at both of the OneFest festivals.
• ‘Apply to Play’ – OneFest 2019’s showcase prize is a nationwide talent search that will provide showcasing opportunities for the best grassroots musical talent, through a ‘callout’ for artists starting on 26^th July – 6th August online at www.onefestuk.com . Final selections will be made by Shabaka Hutchings and all selected acts will perform at OneFest in Sheffield and London.
• OneFest Sheffield and London has been curated byShabaka Hutchings includes an innovative day time programme and an evening of exciting live programming.
• Daytime schedule featuring panels and workshops, including The North South Divide ‘Bridging the Gap’, Shabaka Workshop & Q+A, Start Ups, Business, & Funding Workshop, Mental Health ‘Let’s Keep the Conversation Going’, ‘In Conversation with…’ and Female Entrepreneurs in the Industry.
• Evening schedule featuring showcases from emerging talent and special one-off collaborations with members of the cohort and the best emerging and established British talent including Maisha, Nat Birchall, Tom Skinner, Tom Herbert, Dave Okumu, Byron Wallen and more.  

 

OneFest curator Shabaka Hutchings said “It was an honour to be asked to curate OneFest 2019 and continue to support and encourage the work the festival does for new and emerging talent throughout the industry. It’s given me an opportunity to bring different generations of musicians together through the live programming whilst also work on expanding minds and educating through the panels and workshops during the day. Alongside the day and evening programming, the festival will form a basis of long term, intensive training for young individuals as well as open doors for emerging bands to compete for a slot during the events. This is an element that was important to me when joining forces with the OneFest team. It’s incredibly important to me that the festival takes place in both the North and South, again breaking those unnecessary boundaries that have evolved within the music industry”

Sandra Bhatia, OneFest founder and director added  “We are delighted to take OneFest to the road with Shabaka Hutchings this year for an even more ambitious programme that will shine a light on the under-served community of emerging artists in the North and South this year. The North and South divide still exists and London is still a stronghold of the music community. Our industry insights that show that young people still don’t tend to leave their city, there are limited opportunities, for performance, networking, collaboration, making a living from their art. OneFest aims to extend the reach of grassroots talent, a reach that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Understanding the business of the music industry is key to sustaining careers and young people need access to experts and specialists where they are. OneFest will deliver 360 industry training and support to our young cohort to learn about how to sustain careers, receiving intensive educational support, build a network and receiving business mentoring to really ‘move the needle’ for emerging talent to access sustainable careers in the music industry.”

OneFest co-founder and Director, Stephen Budd  adds, “OneFest exists to reach the next generation of Shabaka Hutchingses, the young talent that might not otherwise get the access to opportunities because of the ‘North-South’ divide. So I’m really excited to launch OneFest this year with such an important social mission at its core, to build a lasting legacy with the talent coming through. I know our musical curation this year is in first class hands with Shabaka. There is an incredibly exciting current tilt towards Jazz at its most cutting edge right now and mixing the young with the previous generation who inspired them is in itself an inspiring concept.  The higher vision, the cohort of young people, the musical collaborations, alongside our exciting line-up of workshops and panels, will all ensure that OneFest is an unmissable event for those interested in real music and real music business talk."

John Robb added “The ‘North south divide’ continues to damage the future success of the music industry. It is a moral and psychological chasm that needs change. It’s certainly not cultural but it’s definitely financial. Part of OneFest’s remit is to tackle this, reconnect with the lost youth born on the wrong side of an invisible barrier and connect the talent to the business, the lost towns to the capital. OneFest listens to what people need and finds solutions.” 

For information about the OneFest cohort http://onefestuk.com/cohort