Rising stars have chance to take the HebCelt stage

A Highlands and islands music festival is offering musicians the chance to showcase their skills on stage this summer.

The multi-awardwinning Hebridean Celtic Festival has teamed up with Lews Castle College UHI in the Outer Hebrides to provide young talent with an opportunity to perform in front a crowd of thousands.

A stage spot is up for grabs with a £500 prize to cover expenses, with passes being provided so they can take in the rest of the HebCelt festival.

HebCelt director Caroline Maclennan said: “We already had a very strong partnership with Lews Castle College but this has been strengthened further with this new competition.

“It will give us a chance to unearth some young rising stars and provide them with a platform to showcase their talent to a large and knowledgeable audience.”

“HebCelt is a highlight of the calendar for musicians”

Programme leader at Lews Castle College AnnaWendy Stevenson said: “HebCelt is a highlight of the calendar for musicians and festival-goers.

“Having the opportunity to perform on a HebCelt stage alongside the top names in Celtic and traditional music will be a fantastic opportunity for the winning entry.”

The college has committed to sponsoring the festival’s acoustic stage for the third year in a row.

Entrants should prepare a promotional pack in electronic form to submit to judges, with a highresolution photo and biography to accompany three tracks of their music.

Entries should be submitted by March 8 to marcatoapp.com/forms/ hebcelt/showcase-comp/ new

HebCelt is held between July 17 and July 20 with acts including Tide Lines, Talisk and Fara playing for an anticipated crowd of 15,000.