And The Winner Is...

Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens is set to announce the winner of the Soundtrack For Cardiff competition this Saturday 24 October at a special awards ceremony in the Wales Millennium Centre. The Soundtrack Award is part of the Swn 09 Festival which hits town on Thursday and parties through to the early hours of Sunday morning. John Rostron, the co-founder and energy behind Swn says:

“We all know that Cardiff has historically been a hotbed of musical talent and the OPENCities Soundtrack For Cardiff competition has provided a good platform for local talent to get their names in the frame. Hopefully we will be featuring Saturday’s winner in Swn festivals of the future”.

The OPENCities Soundtrack For Cardiff Awards ceremony kicks off at 11:00 a.m., and special guests are OPENCities photographer Gareth Phillips and some of his photographic subjects, children from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. The OPENCities photo exhibition, which visted the Old Library in September and early October, provided inspiration for the city’s musicians, and the Awards ceremony will provide a final opportunity to see Gareth’s stunning portraits before the exhibition moves to Belfast.

Executive Member for Sport, Culture and Leisure, Cllr Nigel Howells, said: “I was lucky enough to have been chosen as one of the competition judges and was fortunate to see first hand all the entries. The standard of entry was very high and it’s fantastic to see such creativity in the city.

The OPENCities exhibition and Soundtrack For Cardiff competition has provided a platform for us to showcase both the diversity and creative talents we have in Cardiff and has helped reinforce the message that it is important that cities should be open and welcoming.”

The British Council aims to strengthen the international profile of UK music and creativity, to communicate the diversity of UK society, and to establish long-term partnerships overseas. From electronica to jazz, traditional to folk, and classical to indie, we work across all genres of music.

Working with Swn the British Council has helped to develop opportunities for international cultural exchange. Showcasing the diversity of new and up-coming bands from Wales on Selector the British Council radio station and supporting the development of new international links.