Wide Days Programme Details and Partners
The Wide Days music convention is set to return to Edinburgh from 13-15 April with an enhanced programme of activities and a continuing export focus aimed at connecting Scottish companies and artists, with their international counterparts. It will also see an expanded live showcase open to the public, spanning three evenings in the city’s historic Old Town.
Discussion themes will include music’s convergence with science, and an exploration of how the sector can work more effectively with public bodies and governments. The conference, which takes place in Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms on the first two days of the convention, will also feature an expanded meeting area. And the event’s unique and engaging approach to panels, interviews and round tables will continue.
Following positive attendee feedback, the 15 Minutes of Knowledge sessions will be expanded, as will the Local Heroes strand, which spotlights Scottish music professionals who have played a key role in developing domestic talent.
Wide Days will continue its partnerships with the City of Edinburgh Council, PRS Foundation, PPL, Edinburgh College, Perth College UHI, FOCUS Wales and the charities the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) and Attitude Is Everything.
The former will host a session on how to cope with performance anxiety, as well as one-to-one consultations for delegates to seek advice on health issues. And as part of Wide Days commitment to making the music industry more accommodating for disabled artists, industry professionals and audiences, Attitude Is Everything will be invited to programme a strand.
The third day of the convention will offer a range of networking activities, including a music tour and a lunch, as well as malt whisky and exotic soft drinks tastings.
A BBC presenter will host a brunch for all the performing artists and in the evening, the Festival Takeover will see music events from outside Scotland, each guest-programme a venue. This will provide an additional opportunity for professionals and musicians to connect.
“For the past few years our focus has been on developing Wide Days as an international event in Scotland, creating a focal point for potential export partners, while highlighting our own creative and business talent,” says the convention’s founder, Olaf Furniss. Building on the success of the round tables we hosted with the games and tourism sectors at Wide Days this year, we want to explore how closer relationships can be developed with science as well as government and public institutions.”
During the pandemic, parent company Wide Events hosted 15 online events with partners including Creative Scotland, PRS Foundation, PPL, the British Counciland EmuBands. This provided an opportunity to develop strong ties in Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Wales. These have led to partnerships with key events including ESNS (the Netherlands), Future Echoes (Sweden) and SXSW, with several others under discussion.
Wide Days was the UK’s first gender balanced music industry conference and one of the first in Europe, and in 2022 pioneered a childcare grant for parents who would otherwise not be able to attend. Since 2017, the event has also offered a number of bursary passes to those starting out in the industry, or who face additional barriers.
Last week applications opened for musicians, composers, producers and DJs based in Scotland to showcase at Wide Days. This includes the option to participate in a year-round international talent development programme in partnership with PRS Foundation and supported by PPL. Details are available at www.widedays.com/apply-to-play.
Super early bird convention tickets are currently on sale from £45 for a student pass. www.widedays.com/tickets