A group of eighteen music students from Edinburgh College have offered their skills and expertise to support one the most exciting and up-and-coming festivals in Scotland.
The Wee Dub Festival, Scotland’s only festival of dub and reggae music, has grown from being a small, grassroots one day festival to a full weekend celebration incorporating dub, reggae, dancehall, dubstep and digital.
A variety of students will be involved across all aspects of the festival; with HNC and HND Music Business students helping to promote the gigs and stage manage during the sets, and HNC and HND Sound Production students setting up the stage and helping to engineer live sets and reggae sessions.
As well as students helping out at some of the best venues across the city, including The Caves, Studio 24 and Red Dog Music, Edinburgh College will also play host to an array of cultural and creative sessions, including an African drumming workshop for children and parents.
28-year-old HND Sound Production student, James Rutherford, who volunteered at the festival last year, said: “I’m really pleased to be involved with the Wee Dub Festival for a second year. I worked with some of the best sound engineers in Edinburgh last year, mainly with Alex Fiennes who’s really well known in the industry. Just shadowing him and seeing how he worked was a great experience, and because of that I’ve managed to work on several gigs since.”
“The beauty of working at the festival is that you get to know the engineers behind the scenes. Turning up through the day and helping out with the set-up means you build contacts, and if you show initiative and get the work done you’re used a lot more.”
James, who is currently living in Edinburgh, added: “Although it’s a tough time for the creative industries in Scotland and the competition is high, I think the contacts I’ve made through the festival and the course will boost my CV and help get me to where I want to be.”
Fellow student Alex James, who is 19 years old and also from Edinburgh, said: “It’s pretty cool to be a part of the festival again this year. Last year, when I was doing my HNC, I got to help out with all aspects of the festival, from setting up to helping mix back stage. This year, we’ll be working on live sets too which means there’s lots more pressure involved.”
James added: “We work with similar mixing desks in our studios at college, some of the best equipment in the world, so I’m used to working with this at the Wee Dub Festival too.”
Head of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, Jon Buglass, said:- “We’re really pleased to be working with the Wee Dub Festival for the second year running. Working with one of the best, up-and-coming festivals in Scotland means that our students can gain an incredibly valuable experience with some of the top level sound engineers in the industry.”
Jon added: “We understand that work experience while studying is vital for students, which is why we have numerous partnerships within the industry and festivals across the UK, including the Lammermuir Festival and the 3 Harbours Arts Festival.”
Chris Knight, Wee Dub Festival, said: “Wee Dub Festival is delighted to continue to evolve our relationship with Edinburgh College. Last year we felt that the students who volunteered to help produce the events at the festival gained a lot of experience, and we found their help and input invaluable.
“We think it’s important to represent the wider cultural and social context of all music, but especially reggae music – which often carries an important socio-political message. By coordinating workshops with the college and helping students to gain valuable hands on experience in a live environment, we think Wee Dub Festival and Edinburgh College have developed a very fruitful relationship indeed.”
