PURBECK Folk Festival’s annual talent contest Purbeck Rising is now an established fixture on the UK folk scene.

It offers an opportunity for new acts to play at an award-winning festival with a main stage slot and a day’s studio recording up for grabs.

Last year’s winners, Big Tent and the Gypsy Lantern have since toured the UK twice, appeared at the Tower of Song festival in Birmingham and been shortlisted for Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent showcase.

George Kirkham, the band’s Bournemouth-born percussionist, said: “Winning Purbeck Rising meant so much to us. We love Purbeck Folk Festival – the setting, the people and the bands.

“Entering Purbeck Rising gave us the chance to meet and work with other upcoming acts and we’ve carried on working with them throughout the year.”

Last year’s finalists have all been invited back to play the festival this year.

“Purbeck Rising worked brilliantly last year,” says festival director Cath Burke.

“We couldn’t believe it – not only the number of entries, but the standard was really high as well.”

To enter this year’s Purbeck Rising, artists should email a link to a YouTube video to info@purbeckfolk.co.uk before July 22 with the subject ‘Purbeck Rising’.

The best 10 acts will be put up for public vote between August 3 and 10, with the five most popular acts going through to a live final at Purbeck Folk festival on August 23.

Headlined by Turin Brakes, Eddi Reader, Lloyd Cole, The South, Nizlopi, Chris Wood, Idlewild Acoustic and The Voice finalist Sally Barker, Purbeck Folk Festival runs over the Bank Holiday weekend, August 21 to 24, on a 600-acre sheep farm in Langton Matravers.

See purbeckfolk.co.uk