Venues across Ireland gearing up for Oxfam Ireland’s month-long music festival OXJAM

national | arts and media | press release Wednesday September 09, 2009 11:57 by Steve McDonagh - Oxfam Ireland phillip.graham at oxfamireland dot org 028 9089 5959

Oxfam is calling on the people of Ireland to get involved

Oxjam is Oxfam Ireland’s month-long music festival held in venues across Ireland where thousands of music events are put on by ordinary people in schools, clubs, front rooms and pubs.

Venues across Ireland gearing up for Oxfam Ireland’s month-long music festival OXJAM

Oxfam is calling on the people of Ireland to get involved

Oxjam is a festival with a difference: thousands of music events are put on by ordinary people – from schools to clubs, front rooms to pubs – making it the biggest line-up of any music festival in Ireland. Last year over 300 acts took part in Oxjam across Ireland and now it’s your turn to get involved by organising music-themed events for October.

“This year some of the biggest names in Irish music will be playing intimate gigs for Oxjam. Names and locations are being kept very hush hush but keep checking www.oxfamireland.org/oxjam for updates”, said Oxjam Co-ordinator Ger Murphy.

“For any aspiring star, the highlight of the month-long festival will be the Oxjam Halloween gig on Saturday 31st October, when the winner of this year’s Oxjam competition will get the chance to support two very special guest acts at the festival closer in Dublin’s ‘Village’ venue. Also included in the prize is a day’s recording in a Dublin recording studio, donated by Pulse Recording College”, said Murphy.

Competition entrants in ROI should send a demo CD to Oxfam Ireland, 9 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2; or entrants in NI should send a demo CD to Oxfam Ireland, 115 North Street, Belfast BT1 1ND; or email an mp3 to oxjam@oxfamireland.org – check the website for full competition details.

This year Oxjam revellers will be asked to join Oxfam Ireland’s climate change campaign calling on governments to sign up to a fair and safe deal at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December. All money raised will go help Oxfam’s work fighting poverty in eastern and southern Africa, including helping poor people to cope with the devastating effects of climate change.