Music Growth Fund
East Devon Soul Festival
Outline
East Devon Soul Festival is a community music event with sustainability and revitalisation at its heart, bringing opportunities for local and national artists to perform in the seaside location of Seaton, East Devon, utilising available resources and infrastructures. The inaugural festival occurred on 3rd and 4th July 2026, featuring multi genre eclectic music from local and national artists, crossing genre divides but all joined by the concept of soul, music that moves, has humanity and expression. A key driver for the festival is collaboration with local venue owners and community groups, ensuring a long lasting and self sustainable event.
Ethos
Seaton in East Devon is a town with multiple underused venues, a lack of activity but with the infrastructure to support a creative ecosystem. Sitting between the more vibrant towns of Lyme Regis and Sidmouth, Seaton has been left behind. The aim of the East Devon Soul Festival is to bring music to the town to support socioeconomic enhancement, providing culture and economic life, encouraging people to come in and support local businesses. The East Devon Soul Festival generates an uplift in culture for the town, providing hope and opportunity for future events to occur and release the creative potential of the region, benefitting a wide demographic, including young people, families, older residents, and those who may otherwise have limited access to arts and live music due to financial, geographic, or social barriers. East Devon Soul Festival offers opportunities for local musicians and performers to showcase their talents, promoting wellbeing through shared cultural experiences, and strengthening social connections in the community. Through collaborations with schools, local businesses, and community groups, East Devon Soul will continue to provide volunteering, training, and educational opportunities to encourage participation in event production and the wider creative industries.
Sustainability is a key driver for the East Devon Soul Festival. We want people to have a great time in a wonderful location whilst leaving as little carbon trace as possible. Underutilised venues have been opened up. For example, the iconic Seaton Tramway is transformed into a beautiful 200 capacity venue, great for jazz and soul. The Old Picture House Cinema becomes a 250 person hub for global electronic music. The Hideaway Cafe at the far end of the promenade, a venue for late revellers, with DJ’s spinning electronic House or Drum and Bass. The beach front Tide Cafe has acts performing on its balcony, with a Cafe Del Mar vibe. Incentives are provided to travel to the festival by green transport. The small gauge electric tram can ferry people in from campsites or Bed and Breakfasts of the nearby villages of Colyford or Colyton. Gas buses will be used to connect the nearest train station at Axminster with Seaton, a 20-minute journey. Electric tuk tuk’s will bring spice to East Devon life, a novel way of entering the festival from local villages. Arrival by bike and foot will be encouraged through elements of VIP access, food and accommodation discounts.
Here is an overview of the inaugural festival, featuring interviews and storytelling by own resident researcher, Dr Andy Barrett.
The Story of the East Devon Soul Festival – Friday
The Story of the East Devon Soul Festival – Saturday
The Story of the East Devon Soul Festival – Sunday
East Devon Soul Festival Video Clips
Line Up
The music ethos for the East Devon Soul Festival is quality, eclectic and inclusive. Music for everyone but with a cohesive narrative, where bands featuring female and non-binary musicians are encouraged. The line up will feature upcoming acts who will engage and educate audiences from across the music spectrum, classical to electronic dance, afro beats, jazz, funk and soul. East Devon Soul has appeal for all ages and tastes. The first festival featured acts including jazz trios to surf rock, ska, DnB and electronic house music live acts. In our second year, taking into account feedback, we will have an additional dedicated soul and latin night on Friday 9th July at the Gateway Theatre.
Music is naturally eclectic, and the festival will showcase this glory, providing opportunities for local artists and acts bubbling on the edge of stardom. The common denominator is that all artists will be approved by the East Devon Soul team, scouring the UK live music scene for the best upcoming groups, unleashing years of experience across the music industry to bring a festival for the local masses. Artists who performed in our pilot year included legendary festival acts Dr Meaker and The Egg, rising stars Kaya Fyah and Kayla Painter to those from the London Jazz scene, curated by Tomorrow’s Warriors, home of Ezra Collective and Nubya Garcia. Local musicians from B Sharp music and DJ’s creating scenes in Devon played across various external venues. Local groups performed a series of jazz, soul, samba and acapella throughout the day, the town resonating with global music on the Jurassic Soul Stage
Official East Devon Soul Festival Programme – East Devon Soul Festival (2026)
For East Devon Soul Festival 2, on 9th and 10th July 2027, we have started to book artists and will finalise the programme in December this year. Artists performing include Kaya Fyah returning, this time on the main stage, a new set of Tomorrow’s warriors curated artists, a greater emphasis on soul and latin with an extra night at the Gateway Theatre. African funk band Helele and female soul artist Acantha Laing will perform. We will also expand the number of local artists performing outside in the town and will close the road by the promenade to provide space for vendors.
Seaton The seaside town of Seaton sits on the South coast of the UK, just inside East Devon from the Dorset border, flanked by its better-known siblings Lyme Regis and Sidmouth
Seaton has a natural aspect, sitting at the end of a wide valley, flanked by beautiful countryside, beaches and cliffs. The town itself has many underused facilities including lots of available venues, outside spaces, some with seating and power, plenty of parking and reasonable transport links. Unlike its bordering brethren, Seaton is never overrun by tourists in the summer months due to a lack of historic buildings or perceived beauty. There is a flow to the way that you can circle the town, making it an ideal location for a festival.
Map of Seaton
Venues Archive – East Devon Soul Festival
An pre event video giving an outline of the spaces which will be used for East Devon Soul.
East Devon Soul promo
Directors Biographies
Dr. Simon Strange
Dr Simon Strange brings a comprehensive lifetime of experience within the music industry—spanning performance, event organization, record production, and academia—to the development of East Devon Soul. His practical background includes touring the world, performing at major festivals and venues, and producing bands in multiple studios. As a versatile trombonist who has contributed to classical, jazz, funk, soul, punk, and electronic groups, he possesses a deep affinity for all music genres and the specific needs of working musicians. Previous event management experience in the region includes scheduling and project managing the community music stage for the Sidmouth International Jazz festival. He supported inclusivity through programming female acts and developing the education offering for the festival, whilst also compering the main stage. Dr Strange’s academic credentials further support his vision for culturally vibrant regional festivals. His PhD in music education led to the publication of Blank Canvas (Intellect Publishing, 2022), which explores pedagogical connections between UK art schools and popular music. Furthermore, his next book, Creative Spheres, will examine the concept of scenius, exploring how collective creativity develops within popular music scenes. Crucially, his current research directly connects to the festival’s core mission of supporting culture in a rural location by exploring the ecosystems of rural music scenes. This academic expertise is complemented by his leadership in his current role as a Research Programme Manager at Bath Spa University. Here, he oversees a multi-million-pound AHRC-funded project, which includes delivering multiple training camps across the UK.
Dr Strange is a highly experienced communicator, regularly presenting at worldwide conferences and networking with stakeholders across all areas of modern cultural life. Ultimately, this unique combination of experience and skills led Simon to co-found East Devon Soul with Andrew Pilkington, a former student from his Music Industry Management course at BIMM. Their shared vision is fuelled by a desire to directly address the lack of cultural diversity in regional music offerings, aiming to support communities with access to eclectic global music cultures rather than the usual surfeit of cover bands. Simon is the current East Devon Music Champion.
Andrew Pilkington
Andrew Pilkington (DJ Pilki) is a seasoned music industry professional bringing 14+ years of hands-on experience across live events, clubs, festivals, and artist development. With a BA (Hons) in Music Industry Management and an MA in Music Industry Enterprise, Andrew combines academic grounding with real-world know-how. He has worked in multiple roles — promoter, event coordinator, live-sound engineer, DJ, stage-manager, and festival crew — spanning grassroots venues to major UK festivals. This breadth of experience means he understands every element required to deliver high-quality live music experiences: technical production, artist liaison, programming, audience flow and operational delivery. Internationally, Andrew has performed as a DJ across Southeast Asia, Italy, the UK and Ireland — immersing himself in diverse music cultures and broadening his perspective on global music scenes and audiences.
As co-founder of Sustainable Project Live CIC (SPL) and East Devon Soul CIC, Andrew is deeply committed to building inclusive pathways for young people into the music and events industry. That commitment informs the vision behind the East Devon Soul Festival — a community-focused, sustainability-minded festival aiming to reinvigorate the creative ecosystem of Seaton, East Devon by opening up underused venues, offering performing opportunities to local and national artists across global, soul, funk, jazz, electronic and world-music genres, and offering training, volunteering and real-world event-production experience. Andrew’s multi-disciplinary expertise, creative vision and social-purpose drive make him a natural fit to lead and deliver the East Devon Soul Festival — blending professionalism with community, culture and sustainability.
East Devon Soul CIC – 1-Page Business Plan (2025–2030)
Overview
East Devon Soul CIC (EDS) is a community-focused music organisation transforming Seaton into a vibrant cultural destination. With sustainability, inclusion, and high-quality music at its heart, EDS delivers live events, youth opportunities and year-round cultural programming, led by industry professionals Andrew Pilkington and Dr Simon Strange.
Vision To establish Seaton as a thriving coastal music hub with a sustainable, diverse, and community-driven cultural ecosystem.
Mission
• Deliver an annual multi-venue festival showcasing global, jazz, soul, funk, blues, electronic and world-music artists.
• Support underused local venues and strengthen the region’s music infrastructure.
• Create pathways for young musicians and aspiring event professionals.
• Lead East Devon in sustainable event practices.
5-Year Strategic Goals
1. Develop East Devon Soul Festival into a flagship regional event • Expand venues, genres and capacity • Improve artist calibre and programming • Grow attendance across East Devon, South Somerset & West Dorset
2. Strengthen Seaton’s grassroots venues • Work with venue owners to increase usage and improve facilities • Partner with Music Venue Trust to embed best practice and long-term resilience.
3. Build youth pathways • Performance opportunities via Tomorrow’s Warriors and B Sharp • Volunteering, shadowing and workshop programmes • Strong links with local schools and education providers
4. Lead on sustainability • Use existing venues, green transport and renewable energy • Publish annual sustainability reports • Partner with Music Declares Emergency, Earth Percent & Soliphilia
5. Grow year-round cultural activity • Regular gigs across town venues • Community events, talks and workshops • SPL Radio integration for promotion and artist support
6. Achieve long-term financial sustainability • Increased ticket income, sponsorship, trader fees and merchandise • Year-round revenue through gigs and partnerships • Development of paid roles (marketing, production, operations) by Year 3
Key Partners Music Venue Trust • Seaton Town Council • East Devon District Council (ACED) • Tomorrow’s Warriors • B Sharp • Chai Wallahs • Diplomats of Sound • Soliphilia • Music Declares Emergency • Earth Percent • SPL Radio • Seaton Chamber of Commerce • Local venue owners • Local businesses • Regional schools
Impact • Revitalised town centre & increased footfall • Stronger local economy & cultural tourism • Increased opportunities for young people • High-quality, diverse music for all demographics • A sustainable model for rural festivals • A stronger, more resilient grassroots venue network
5-Year Milestones
Year 1 — Launch: First festival delivered, strong brand established
Year 2 — Strengthen: Growing attendance, expanded programming
Year 3 — Grow: Part-time staff roles created, sustainability report published
Year 4 — Develop: Venue improvements & regional partnerships deepen
Year 5 — Thrive: Festival becomes established regional anchor with national visibility
East Devon Soul CIC – Audience Development Plan (2025–2030) Purpose To build a diverse, engaged and growing audience for the East Devon Soul Festival and year-round programming, reaching communities across East Devon, South Somerset and West Dorset, while making high-quality live music accessible to all.
1. Target Audiences Local & Regional Audiences (Primary) • Residents of Seaton, Beer, Axminster, Lyme Regis, Sidmouth, Chard & Crewkerne • People living within a 50-mile radius (422,500 population catchment) • Families seeking accessible cultural activity • Adults aged 35+ for jazz, soul, funk, blues & global music • Youth audiences (16–25) for electronic, jungle, drum & bass events
Underrepresented Groups (Secondary) • Young musicians from B Sharp, Tomorrow’s Warriors, local schools • People with low cultural engagement • Disabled audiences and neurodiverse attendees • Eco-conscious audiences attracted by the sustainability model
Visitors (Tertiary) • Tourists visiting the Jurassic Coast • Cultural tourists seeking high-quality live music • Weekend visitors from Dorset, Somerset & Exeter
2. Audience Development Objectives (2025–2030) 1. Grow festival attendance year-on-year, reaching 3,000+ by Year 5 2. Increase diversity, ensuring representation across age, genre tastes and cultural backgrounds 3. Develop strong loyalty and retention, particularly through annual early-bird campaigns 4. Engage underrepresented and rural communities through targeted outreach 5. Enhance accessibility, both physical and sensory 6. Deepen community ownership through local businesses, schools and volunteers 7. Broaden awareness regionally and nationally using partnerships and media
3. Key Strategies
A. Marketing & Communications • Multi-channel approach: Meta ads, Instagram, Facebook, posters, banners • Regular SPL Radio features, interviews & artist spotlights • Early-bird and tiered ticketing campaigns • Targeted ads for key genres (jazz/soul vs. DnB/electronic) • High-quality website with accessible information (launched Jan 2026) • PR outreach to regional media and music press
B. Community Engagement • Meetings and co-planning with Seaton Town Council & venue owners • Deep partnership with schools (Colyton Grammar, Exmouth CC, Axe Vale) • Youth opportunities through Tomorrow’s Warriors & B Sharp • Free daytime stages for local musicians • “Ideas Board” at Seaton Tramway and online suggestions portal
C. Accessibility • Wheelchair viewing areas in headline venues • Quiet zones for neurodiverse audiences • Braille programmes and clear signage • Volunteer wellbeing officers & inclusive training • Affordable pricing with daytime free events
D. Sustainability-Led Engagement • Attract eco-conscious audiences with green transport incentives • Partnerships with Music Declares Emergency, Earth Percent & Soliphilia • Transparent sustainability reporting • “Green Ticket” incentives for those walking, cycling or using the electric tram
E. Cultural Diversity & Inclusion • Gender-balanced and globally diverse lineup • Amplification of Black-led and global music artists • Engagement with Women in Music and diaspora networks • Showcasing diverse genres across multiple venues
4. Measurement & Evaluation Tools & Methods • Post-event audience survey (quantitative + qualitative) • On-site Tramway Ideas Board • Mailing list analytics • SPL Radio feedback phone-in • Venue owner reviews • Economic impact analysis with Chamber of Commerce • Transport usage and carbon impact data • Year-on-year comparison of demographic turnout
Success Indicators • Attendance growth • Increased diversity of attendees and artists • Higher engagement with underrepresented groups • Positive sustainability metrics • Repeat attendance & community advocacy • Growth of local business footfall
5. Long-Term Impact • A revitalised, culturally active town centre • Strong regional reputation for quality music programming • New opportunities for local young people • A sustainable, inclusive, and thriving music ecosystem in Seaton
Merchandise
