Joe GallopA conference dedicated to Scotland’s hip hop and underground culture is to launch in Glasgow this summer.
Pitch Scotland takes place on 27 August at three venues in Glasgow’s creative East End. It will feature representatives from across the music industry, skills workshops, panel discussions, speed-meeting sessions and performances including DJ sets, spoken word artists and a live showcase.
The event is to be presented by the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) in partnership with Creative Scotland, grassroots music festival FOCUS Wales and New Skool Rules – an international urban music festival and conference in Rotterdam.
Following HANG (Hip-Hop Aimed Networking with Grime) – Scotland’s first ever hip hop conference – at Glasgow’s SWG3 in July 2021, Pitch Scotland will host events at live music venue Saint Luke’s, community arts venue The Space and Many Studios, a hub for over 60 artists and practitioners.
Organisers said Pitch Scotland reflects the event’s multi-venue expansion, international outlook and “emphasis on the relationship between creativity, commerce and the way artists and industry professionals can be empowered in their careers”.
Pitch360 will provide a community networking space specifically for 16 to 21-year-olds and a programme of workshops led by organisations, such as independent college the Academy of Music and Sound and free mentoring scheme Music Plus.
SAMA producer Richy Muirhead said, “Being the first ever conference for artists and others in the hip hop and grime communities in Scotland made HANG a landmark event. It was one of the first opportunities for artists across backgrounds and genres to share a space, reflect on the past and celebrate the present. As the music scene recovers from the pandemic, Pitch will build on that foundation of individual and collective empowerment to show the world the strength and vibrancy of hip hop and grime in Scotland.”