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Motion · S6M-09788 · 28 Jun 2023

Youth Beatz Music Festival

Lodged by Finlay Carson (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party) Standard Motion 29 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament wishes every success to the Youth Beatz festival, being staged in Dumfries showground on 1-2 July 2023 before an expected audience of 20,000 young people, making it the UK’s largest free youth music event; notes that the festival is celebrating its 14th anniversary this year, and will have more than 200 volunteers, including many from Dumfries and Galloway and across Scotland who are taking part in their Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Residential Award; praises the efforts of the organiser, Oasis Events Team, which has planned the event over the last 12 months, working alongside two regional events groups in Newton Stewart and Moffat; acknowledges that, during the lead-up to the main festival, a total of 16 Youth Beatz Fringe events have taken place in every ward across Dumfries and Galloway, promoting the programme that is primarily aimed at 12- to 25-year-olds by providing youth information, activity-based entertainment and outdoor work, culminating in a large-scale outdoor music event, featuring the best emerging local musical talent; recognises that Youth Beatz is open to a national audience, but that more than 75% of the tickets in 2022 went to residents of Dumfries and Galloway; understands that 86% of young people surveyed at Youth Beatz said that they could not afford to attend any other commercial music event in the local area or Scotland due to costs, while 73% admitted that they could not attend if they had to pay; praises the role played by the hard-hitting interactive issue-based theatrical production, known as The Toon, which, it believes, meaningfully raises awareness of a range of issues affecting the lives of young people, including drugs, suicide, sexuality, sexual health, rape and domestic abuse; notes that The Toon is planned and delivered by local young people, with the assistance and support of Youth Work Service staff, while more than 50 volunteer their time to train, prepare, organise and run the programme, and recognises what it sees as the economic impact of Youth Beatz for Dumfries, having raised £384,817 in 2022, with nearly 90% of contracts awarded to companies who have staff in or based in the region.

Supporters (29)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.