Glasgowbury is a multi-award winning music festival and music group, with a host of year-round activities aimed at supporting and enhancing the Northern Ireland music scene…(yes Northern Ireland – not Scotland!)
In response to the continued need for structures to be set in place to nurture young creative talent while providing a platform for the Irish music scene, the Glasgowbury Music Group was formed at the turn of the millennium.
Providing activities and services ranging from songwriting workshops to animation master classes, from sound advice projects to the annual festival, Glasgowbury has become a force for creative change in areas where cultural activities remain stifled by a lack of recognition and funding.
Run by musicians, for musicians, Glasgowbury is a not for profit organisation and is registered as a charity with HM Revenue & Customs; ever expanding to cater the needs and wants of local communities throughout the country.
In 2000 the first Festival took place when Paddy Glasgow organised a gathering of local bands and songwriters to perform a concert to raise awareness for the Ulster Cancer Foundation charity.
Igniting a spark that has yet to be doused, Paddy quickly realised the potential such an event would have in Northern Ireland and persisted in his attempts to take Glasgowbury to the top.
The success of the festival in 2002 was the cornerstone for the ‘Small But Massive’ attitude which continues to echo through the Sperrins to this day. Word soon filtered back to the cities and media and the Glasgowbury legend was born.
But far from being a once a year celebration, Glasgowbury soon became synonymous with Northern Ireland’s music culture as a hub for musicians and artistic thinking people alike to express themselves through workshops, seminars and events.
Monthly G Session Gigs would soon follow, offering an outlet of expression for up-and-coming as well as established acts. The Rural Key Music Project would be next, giving local youth the knowledge and know-how to take their work to the next level.
Continually growing in size and stature, in 2009 Glasgowbury was the recipient of multiple awards relating to their various endeavours including four Irish Festival Awards where the fans voted Glasgowbury, among other things, Ireland’s Best Small Festival.
2010 was an equally exciting year for the group including the introduction of its highly successful Boogie Buddies Dance Classes and G Decks showcases as well as another capacity filled festival which narrowly missed out on becoming recognised as the UK’s Best Small Festival.
2011 saw yet more growth with the continuation of the organisation’s key activities including another sell-out capacity festival showcase itself in front of 5,000 people. The festival’s success was cemented when Glasgowbury picked up the ‘Best Festival’ award at the first ever NI Music Awards in November.
2012 saw Glasgowbury’s continued growth and domination as the 2012 festival takes its gigantic shape, the G Sessions celebrate their 8th year of operation and Glasgowbury look for a building from which they can house all of their strongly piloted programmes and initiatives.
2013 is perhaps Glasgowbury’s most ambitious year yet. The festival expands to two day event for the first time in its history and we aim to move into our own dedicated building in Draperstown from which we will be able to carry out a full and exciting programme of activity. Watch this space.
As always, the ‘Small But Massive’ ethos will be at the heart of all things Glasgowbury.
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small but MASSIVE!
