• FULL SCHEDULE PER DAY SO FAR PUBLISHED ON WWW.ESCAPEGREAT.COM
• EARLY BIRD DELEGATE TICKETS £120 – OFFER EXPIRES ON 11TH APRIL
• SPOTLIGHT ON DIY ANNOUNCED

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DIY?
The Great Escape convention to throw a spotlight on ‘DIY’
and how new artists can take control of their own careers

The Great Escape will this May team up with Arts Council England to put ‘DIY’ in the spotlight, providing a number of sessions specifically aimed at artists, managers and music entrepreneurs early on in their careers, and those musicians looking to self-release their own work.

Bringing together key innovators from across the independent music community – plus artists, managers and marketers working on self-release campaigns – these sessions will be packed with practical advice, tricks of the trade, and inspiring stories.

This strand of the convention is being enabled by Arts Council England. Known for the incredible support and insight it gives to young music industry professionals, The Great Escape has been awarded a £38,000 grant from Arts Council England this year. The money will help the festival to deliver local collaborations, education and development programmes, and to promote international diversity and collaboration between artists.

The ‘DIY In The Spotlight’ programme will include:

• A focus on what artists, managers or entrepreneurs setting up their first music enterprise need to do, logistically, legally and to stay motivated.

• A focus on building profile for new artists, including the role of gigging as a marketing platform, plus social media and when to approach the music press.

• The inside track on what it’s like to set up and run an independent record label, from the founders of four of the UK’s best indie labels.

• A ‘pitch party’ showcasing a plethora of the digital tools available to promote artists, engage fans, distribute content and sell tickets, merchandise and music.

Chris Cooke, TGE Convention Programmer and Business Editor of CMU says: “There has been a lot of talk about artists going the ‘DIY’ route in recent years, especially early on in their career as labels look to sign slightly more developed talent. But what does ‘DIY’ mean in this context?”

He continues: “Not ‘do it yourself’ for starters, because being successful at this grass roots level means putting together a team, forming partnerships, and capitalising on tools and technologies out there that can help. This programme of sessions will throw the spotlight on everything new artists and their teams need to know, and offer plenty of valuable tips for more established music business professionals too”.

Sally Abbott, Regional Director of Arts Council England, South East said: “Arts Council England are delighted to support The Great Escape festival in Brighton with £38,000 of Grants For The Arts funding. Grants For The Arts is Arts Council England’s open application funding programme. This funding supports arts activities that engage people in the arts and helps artists and arts organisations with their work”.
She adds: “The Great Escape festival attracts music fans, young people and industry specialists from all over the world to Brighton and we are delighted to support it through the convention programme to deliver local collaborations, education and development and to promote international diversity and collaboration between artists’’.
Already confirmed to take part in ‘DIY In The Spotlight’: Alex Fitzpatrick, Holy Roar; Chris TT; David Riley, Good Lizard, Debbie Ball, Create Spark; Josh Little, ACUMEN; Matthew Young, Song By Toad; Ollie Jacob, Memphis Industries; Robert Luis, Tru Thoughts; and Simon Pursehouse, Sentric Music.

The Great Escape takes place from 10-12 May in Brighton. Full delegate passes are currently available at the early bird rate of £120 from www.escapegreat.com. This includes access to all convention events, plus priority access to the core festival venues, subject to capacity.

THE GREAT ESCAPE
BRIGHTON, WEST SUSSEX, UK
10-12 MAY 2012

3-DAY DELEGATE TICKETS (EARLY BIRD) £120 (expires on 11th April)
3-DAY FESTIVAL TICKETS (EARLY BIRD) £45 (expires on 11th April)

For further ticketing information:
www.escapegreat.com/buyTickets/ & SEE Tickets: 0870 264 3333

Book the Industry Delegate Hotel for the Weekend from £420 for three nights:

http://escapegreat.com/book-hotel/book-industry-delegate-hotel

For further information please contact Borkowski Arts & Ents: +44 (0)203 176 27 00
Louise Thompson: 07932 652 495 / louise@markborkowski.co.uk
Giles Cooper: 07850 769 189 / giles@markborkowski.co.uk
Festival Accreditation: thegreatescape@markborkowski.co.uk