Nerve Centre and Stendhal celebrate ten years in tandem

This year’s festival on July 4, 5 and 6 marks the tenth anniversary of The Nerve Centre and Stendhal Festival working in tandem to help provide aspiring musicians with a pathway to performing.

Over the past ten years hundreds of young musicians from the Northwest have made their way through the Nerve Centre’s many brilliant youth music programmes and onto the Stendhal stage.

To celebrate the milestone, some of the biggest hitters to ever progress through the Nerve’s youth programmes are back to represent and show out for the Derry based arts centre.

Revered alumni Cherym, The Wood Burning Savages, John Deery and The Heads and Parker will be joined by breakthrough acts Hypnik Jerk, Polar Bolero, The Suite, Roll the Dice, Klyda and Cathal Francis, in an exciting and diverse showcase of what the Nerve Centre’s youth music programmes are all about.

In addition to these acts The Nerve Centre Stage in the Wooly Woodland will play host to a number of youth music showcases.

Musicians who have been learning their trade via programmes from Glasgowbury Music Group, Our Space, NACN (Newtownabbey Arts and Cultural Network), The Tuned In Project and The Music Hothouse, will no doubt gain valuable experience during their performances at Stendhal and you never know, might just be your brand-new favourite band.

Stendhal Festival Director Ross Parkhill said: “We are delighted to continue to be a showcase for the absolutely amazing work the Nerve Centre does with young musicians in the Northwest and further afield.

“Their youth programmes are of an amazingly high quality and have provided a vital initial pathway for scores of talented young musicians and the results of working with them over the past ten years have been incredibly rewarding and a huge part of what Stendhal is all about.”

Martin McGilll, Music and Creative Programme Manager at the Nerve Centre added: “Returning to the Stendhal Festival stage on the 10th anniversary of our first outing fills us with joy.

“The annual pilgrimage has been igniting passion, focusing creativity and honing the talent of the next big things in front of the Stendhal faithful and this year’s showcase promises to be nothing short of spectacular.”