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MAJOR outdoor music and arts event, Chase Park Festival, is set to return for its fourth consecutive year after securing substantial funding from Arts Council England and set to headline is Sunderland born, post-punk band The Futureheads.

The festival held in Chase Park, Whickham, is accredited by national music charity Attitude is Everything for being one of the most accessible festivals in the UK. It is aimed at including people of all abilities and in helping break down cultural barriers and stereotypes often faced with people with disabilities.

Chase Park Festival, run by healthcare and neuro-rehabilitation specialist Keiro, secured significant funding from the Arts Council as well as being sponsored by leading injury and disability solicitors Irwin Mitchell, Gateshead Council and Pulse Healthcare. The lineup has been programmed by the UK’s leading music development agency, Generator.

Business development director at Keiro, Alistair McDonald, said: “We are honoured to have secured Arts Council funding for a second year in a row now. Without this funding and our sponsors, the lineup and the event wouldn’t be as fantastic as it is.

“It has been well documented in the press that some festivals and the arts in general are having a tough time lately, especially in the North East, so to be able to stage the fourth Chase Park Festival is incredible.”

The festival has established a reputation for unearthing the best new artists in the region with the likes of The Lake Poets, Mausi and Amy Holford all playing previous events.

Emerging artists on the bill this year include BBC Introducing favourite’s Big Beat Bronson and Symphonic Pictures. Hip-hop upstart TERRA T will be playing after impressing at Evolution Emerging along with young indie bands Child and Tissue Culture. Making a rare solo appearance will be Shift-Static front woman Laura Smith, and solo artists Natasha Haws and Sam Fender complete the lineup. There is also a second stage which will give emerging disabled artists a platform to perform.

McDonald continued: “We have worked hard to programme an exciting bill to surpass last year’s. We love to champion emerging North East talent so we have tried to pack our roster with the finest acts the North East has to offer. Having The Futureheads headline is a real coup for us.

“Our festival is also a great chance for emerging artists with disabilities to perform to a lively, outdoor audience on the Keiro Stage.”

The open-air festival will take place on Saturday August 10^th in Chase Park, Whickham. Gates will open at 11:30am and acts will begin at 12pm. Tickets are free to people with disability and their carers / support workers (who need it to be) but other tickets are priced £3, £5 for a family (2 adults and up to 4 kids) or a £10 ticket to help with the cost of running next year's event.

This year the performances will be enhanced with British Sign Language interpreters and assistive technology software.

Also on show will be circus acts, DJ workshops provided by Generator, a holistic therapy tent, craft stalls, face painting and an array of local food and drink. In addition, there will be a games and education centre where people can learn about disabilities and get an insight into the human brain.

In 2012, the event attracted thousands of festival-goers with acts including Hyde and Beast, Let’s Buy Happiness and Athletes in Paris. It has been featured on BBC Radio 1, in The Guardian and music Bible NME.

McDonald added: “The whole idea behind the event is to be inclusive for everyone regardless of ability. Not only is the festival for anyone and everyone but it also gives some of the best artists in our region and beyond the chance to perform on an open-air set in front of a wonderfully diverse crowd.

“We can’t express our gratitude enough to the Arts Council, our sponsors and partners in helping make this happen.”