Wales’s biggest ever delegation of music professionals is joining forces for the South by South West (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas this month, in a bid to capitalise on the growing reputation of Welsh music globally.
Twelve music, interactive and film companies are heading to the world famous showcase, which is being held on March 7 – 16, with the aim of turning more pop into pounds for Wales on the back of an unprecedented calendar of events experienced by Welsh music in 2013.
The latest ‘Music From Wales’ trade mission, organised by Welsh Music Foundation (WMF), is looking to further ride the economic wave created by the World Music Expo’s (WOMEX) visit to Cardiff last year, and pump even more money back into the Welsh economy in 2014.
WOMEX’s visit to Wales in October 2013 is estimated to have contributed £3million to the Welsh economy through the attendance of delegates, artists and journalists from over 98 countries worldwide.
One Welsh enterprise, Cardiff-based Dizzyjam, will use the opportunity to raise its profile as a digital start-up created to offer musicians and bands of all sizes the opportunity to easily create and sell their own merchandise online.
“The South By South West (SXSW) festival provides us with a great opportunity to meet with potential business partners working on a global scale, like SoundCloud and other internet platforms, who could potentially provide Dizzyjam with access to millions of users worldwide,” said Neil Cocker, founder of Dizzyjam.
“So through this visit we are aiming to meet, and consolidate relationships, with partners who will be happy to collaborate with us in the future, and through which we will be able to expand and grow our business internationally.”
Eight Welsh artists will also perform at venues across a five-day period, and for the first time ever industry insiders from across Wales will be joined at SXSW by Welsh Government officials looking to further support the growing profile of Welsh talent on a global level.
Music insiders and the Welsh Government’s creative industries team will be looking to drum up further interest in Wales’s diverse music scene from more than 12,000 attendees and 2,000 bands and artists attending SXSW, which has become a worldwide focus for up and coming players in the creative industries since it launched in the 1980s.
John Rostron, chief executive at WMF, said: “The last 12 months have been something of a watershed affair for Welsh music and contributed to a rise in profile generally for the creative industries in Wales, not only with the arrival of WOMEX but through deepening partnerships with other industry partners too.
“The Association of Independent Music (AIM) and SXSW booker Lizzy Newton are just some of the many external partners that also came to Wales looking for talent during that period following a sustained effort from industry professionals and the Welsh Government to put the world spotlight on Welsh music.
“This year’s trade mission to SXSW is therefore more important and more exciting than ever, and we look forward as a delegation to riding the wave of WOMEX well into 2014 and beyond in further support of the Welsh economy.”
More than 7,000 music businesses contribute to £4.2 billion* GVA to the UK economy each year. The UK is also the world’s fourth largest music market and one of only two net exporters of music globally, according to evidence submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport following a call for evidence requesting views on support for the creative economy in 2012.
This report also found exports from creative industries are now just as valuable as traditional export sectors such as construction, giving renewed focus to the near 2000 enterprises in 65 categories on the books of WMF.
Economy Minister, Edwina Hart said: “The creative industries is now one of the fastest growing sectors in the Welsh economy, employing over 25,000 people and generating a £1 billion annual turnover.”
“Events like these are crucial for companies to develop new contacts and expand their business. We have many talented entrepreneurs in the creative industries in Wales and the Welsh Government is determined to support them to help their business grow and create jobs.”
Other acts and organisations attending SXSW include Cardiff group Until The Ribbon Breaks, Newport’s Save Your Breath and Focus Wales.
Photo by Ricardo Garza / Shutterstock.com
The post Welsh music professionals head to Texas showcase appeared first on Wales World Wide.