ACCES 2019 receives high number of showcase applications

ACCES 2019 is the third conference of its kind, after it was held in Dakar, Senegal, and Nairobi, Kenya, in 2017 and 2018 respectively. The conference is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) and takes place in a different African city every year. It is known for offering a diverse programme of industry discussions, networking opportunities, workshops, exhibitions and visits to key music industry hubs in the host city, as well as exciting showcases from upcoming and established artists across Africa.

This year, ACCES received 317 applications from 35 countries. This after the MIAF made a call to artists interested to perform in front of industry leaders such as label executives, booking agents, festival organisers, music publishers and journalists.

Some 41 applications came from the host country, which was followed by South Africa with 38 applications and Nigeria with 30. East Africa's main applicant country was Kenya with 23 while Morocco led the North African region with 11.

Other musically rich countries that saw notable interest from local artists to showcase at ACCES 2019 include Senegal (23), Cameroon (21), Uganda (11) and Tanzania (11). A number of artists from the DRC, Togo, Mali, Mozambique, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Angola and Benin also applied, among others.

The six-member ACCES 2019 curation committee, comprising music industry experts, will now review the applications and shortlist the artists who will perform at the conference before the final line-up is announced in September. The curation committee is tasked with selecting artists based on country, genre and gender balance, as well as other criteria the will ensure a top-quality showcase programme.

Meanwhile, the MIAF recently announced that Alliance Française Accra, and another yet to be announced venue, would host to the showcasing artists, while the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences will present panel discussions, workshops, training, presentations and networking sessions.

About ACCES 

The Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases, or simply ACCES, is an annual music conference that hosts industry players from across the African continent and around the world. ACCES 2019 will be held in Accra on 28, 29 and 30 November and will see music professionals gather in the Ghanaian capital to exchange ideas, discover new talent and accelerate the shaping of the music sector on the continent.

ACCES is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit pan-African organisation, in partnership with Siemens Stiftung, Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française.

For more information about the conference, visit the official ACCES website.