Local young musicians will have the opportunity to perform at Croydon’s inaugural The Ends Festival, where international stars including as Nas, Wizkid, and Damian Marley – and Croydon’s very own Nadia Rose – will be headlining.
The three-day event, produced by Metropolis Music and Live Nation and taking place in Lloyd Park from 31 May – 2 June, is already set to be a highlight of Croydon’s cultural calendar.
Now the organisers have teamed up with Croydon Council to ensure that it will also be an incredible opportunity for young people locally and a celebration of Croydon’s music culture – with a platform dedicated to emerging talent.
From today, (8 March 2019) young people aged 14-25 can apply to audition to perform on the second stage, which will run alongside the main stage throughout the festival.
Performers will be given slots in between the main stage artists, and will showcase a range of styles and genres. Applicants can be solo artists or grous; they must live, work and study in Croydon, and be performance-ready to embrace a high-profile platform. Ideas around collaborations between groups and/or genres are welcome.
To be considered for the stage, musicians need to apply by 25 March. Application forms can be found www.theendsfestival.co.uk/experience and www.croydonmusicandarts.co.uk/the-ends-youth-stage. Completed forms should be sent to info@theendsfestival.co.uk or posted to Croydon Music and Arts, Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Shirley Road, Croydon CR9 7AL.
Applications close on 25 March and shortlisted applicants will be invited to audition at the Front Room, 37-39 St George’s Walk, Croydon on 30 March, with decisions on 5 April.
There will also be opportunities for young people to shadow the festival team in the week leading up to the event – contact info@theendsfestival.co.uk for more information.
Organiser Kiarn Eslami said: “Myself and Live Nation/Metropolis have spent the past few years putting together the festival and outreach program together called The Ends – local slang for ‘the neighbourhood’.
“The Ends aspires to provide a platform for the best that London has to offer, whilst hosting some of the biggest international stars from across the globe. The festival’s ethos is to create opportunities for the local area and celebrate the diversity, culture and talent of Croydon.
“The area has a rich history in music and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside Croydon Council to establish a youth outreach program, consisting of a stage for local talent; workshops in local schools and colleges; ticket and prize giveaways and career shadowing opportunities in production, event programming, marketing and other key areas of the festival.”
“The Ends Festival is an exciting new event for Croydon and this is a real opportunity for any talented young musician in our borough to raise their profile. Croydon has produced some hugely successful artists in recent years, from Stormzy and Hardy Caprio, to Nadia Rose. We want to nurture our talent, giving aspiring artists platforms like this to perform, and as Croydon increasingly attracts major events like The Ends Festival, we will be working with organisers to ensure they are creating opportunities for our young people and showcasing the best of Croydon.”
Councillor Oliver Lewis, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport
This supports the aims of Croydon Council’s Choose Your Future campaign, which supports young pepple to make positive life choices by creating opportunities for them.
For more information on The Ends Festival and to buy tickets visit www.theendsfestival.co.uk
