FOCUS Wales, the music industry showcase festival for Wales that takes place each May, will be upping sticks this October to take Welsh band Campfire Social to showcase at Zandari Festa, in Seoul, Korea http://www.zfesta.com/en/artists/profiles/2687/ .
This will be the first international showcase arranged directly by FOCUS Wales and made possible with the help of Wales Arts International’s International Opportunities Scheme which offers support for Wales based artists to undertake international visits, aimed at the development of international work outside of the UK.
Guitarist Thom Hyndman said:
“This is a great opportunity for the band. Zandari Festa is a massive event, so we’re all really excited, and grateful to FOCUS Wales for making it possible.”
FOCUS Wales has maintained a steady profile of activity overseas over the past 18 months, securing international showcases at this year’s festival from Canada’s BreakOut West Festival, Music Nova Scotia and POP Montreal as well as a debut showcase of Korean artists by Zandari Festa.
Campfire Social play Zandari Festa on Sunday 1st October, 21:30 (KST) at Club Freebird. FOCUS Wales Co-Founder Andy Jones will be joining the band in Seoul and as well as arranging networking opportunities will also be participating as a delegate and speaker at both MU:Con and Zandari Festa
Jones said:
“We’re really excited to be taking a Welsh band out to showcase under the FOCUS Wales banner for the first time. We’ll be working alongside partners, including British Council Cymru and Wales Arts International, to do everything we possibly can to promote Welsh music and culture abroad. It’s a pivotal part of our strategy going forward. We’ll also be looking for exciting acts to invite back to Wales in May.”
FOCUS Wales 2018 takes place in Wrexham, Wales, UK from 10th to the 12th May. Bands such as Catfish & The Bottlemen, Slaves, and Bo Ningen have all played the festival since its first edition in 2011.
In order to welcome even more of the international music community to Wales in 2018, a limited number of industry guest passes, exclusively for international music industry reps (based outside of the UK), are being made available via a free application process online. Successful applicants will be provided with a Delegate Pass for FOCUS Wales 2018. Industry Delegate Passes provide priority access to all shows and talks, and a place on the list during each industry mixer at the festival. The deadline for applications is 7th November. Head to focuswales.com/interactive for full details.
Also, a limited amount of super-earlybird tickets for the 2018 festival are on sale now at just £30. Keep your eyes peeled at www.focuswales.com for more news and first act announcements in the weeks to come! News and information will also be available on our social media accounts @focuswales
