The Great Escape looks to Catalonia for talent

Each year The Great Escape partners with a country, and this year organisers have announced they will be joining forces with Insititut Ramon Llull to present music from Catalonia, northeastern Spain, and the Balearic Islands from Barcelona to the Mediterranean islands.

	The Great Escape

So expect Catalonia's most exciting musical offerings to make the journey to the south coast to join up with 300+ bands performing in more than 30 venues spread across Brighton over the course of three days.

Vicenç Villatoro, director of the Institut Ramon Llull (IRL), said: "The IRL is very proud to strengthen its relationship with The Great Escape by supporting the participation of eight bands from Catalonia and The Balearic Islands at 2012's festival. Through this collaboration, the IRL will promote the quality of Catalan music internationally, enriching the festival programme with the talent of these artists."

TGE Operations Manager, Kat Morris, added, "There's a real hub of extraordinary music coming out of Catalonia at the moment, so we're delighted to be giving the bands an opportunity to reach The Great Escape audience. We pride ourselves on showcasing new artists from every corner of the globe and working closely with arts groups, such as the IRL, allows us to select the bands on the cusp of doing great things."

The Great Escape has welcomed many Catalan bands and artists in previous years such as Manel and Cuchillio in 2009, Mujeres and John Talabot in 2010 and AIAS, Les Aus, and Mishima in 2011.

The Great Escape features international and UK pop, cutting edge, hip hop, electronic, and rock acts showcased at venues all over Brighton. The dates for 2012 are confirmed as Thursday 10th until Saturday 12th May 2012.

Artist Registration for The Great Escape is now open and free to register. Those bands wishing to be considered for TGE 2012 should register via the TGE website here and complete the online application form to be considered for a spot at the showcase.

A super early bird ticket is priced at £35 with delegate passes also available. To buy tickets, click here.

There are no acts confirmed yet for 2012. The line-up will include over 300 acts from around the globe in around 30 venues within Brighton City Centre. The venues are all a close walk from each other with each venue equipped to an international showcase standard. This year's partner country has not yet been confirmed.

As well as the live music, there's also a number of "Parkinson" style interviews with luminaries from the world of Music and Media, to show the way in which success is achieved, as well as educational panels, workshops and networking sessions.

As in previous years, a small number of shows will also take place at The Dome in Brighton. The line-up will be announced early next year. Separate Dome Show gig tickets attendees will be available from early 2012, with attendees also able to top up their festival wristband for a small additional fee.

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