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goNORTH was launched in 2001 to provide a platform for artists from the north of Scotland to showcase for music industry and media representatives outside of the Central Belt. Originally hosted in several venues on Aberdeen’s Belmont Street, it briefly relocated to Dundee, before settling in Scotland’s most northerly city, Inverness. The event has now developed into one of the country’s leading Creative Industries Festivals and has extended it’s remit to include Screen, Broadcast, Fashion and Publishing. 

From the 8 - 10 June the city of Inverness will be alive with showcase gigs, seminars, workshops and training and networking events. What’s more, as always, all the events are offered free of charge!

The music showcase programme includes some of Scotland’s best new talent and features acts such as Kid Canaveral, Kobi Onyame, Bwani Junction, The Scottish Enlightenment, Capitals, Mitchell Museum, Tango in The Attic, French Wives and Aerials Up. Given the proximity of venues and the free entry to all shows, there is no better place to see the cream of new Scottish talent this summer. A CD containing tracks from 12 of this year's showcasing acts was also distributed through industry magazine Music Week to promote the event to those working in the industry.

In a new initiative this year all the showcasing artists will also get to play at one or more of the following independent Scottish festivals as part of the goNORTH Festival Tour. Slots at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, The Wickerman Festival, Loopallu, Summer In The City 2011 and Wizard Festival will be shared between the acts.

The music seminar programme, hosted by Scotland’s music industry networking night Born To Be Wide, includes sessions on placing music in TV, film and adverts; music and brands; music management; A&R; music blogs; technology, creativity and the over 50’s and radio. There will also be keynote speeches from former Undertone and UK Music head-honcho Feargal Sharkey and Alex Knight, founder of one of the UK’s most respected indie labels, FatCat Records.

"goNORTH offers a fantastic opportunity for all levels of the music industry to come together, take advantage of some incredibly useful seminars and check out some amazing new talent. The whole event is free and getting there from the Central Belt costs the same as a round of drinks." - Olaf Furniss, Born To Be Wide co-organiser

Some of the highlights of the film and TV workshops include a session focusing on the key stages in bringing something from script to screen; a radio drama workshop with BBC Scotland; a workshop on Final Cut editing software; a seminar on Women in film & TV and a fiction writing event. There will also be a programme of short films screening at Eden Court Theatre, with most of the films made exclusively by filmmakers from the Highlands & Islands.

GoNorth's fashion strand includes events on trend & product design; the business of fashion and an opportunity to create your own designs and catwalk show in the virtual world of Second Life.