The MTN Bushfire Arts Round Table provides interaction with top industry professionals on how to succeed in the performing arts. To date, over 800 local arts industry stakeholders have participated in workshops focusing on the music industry, brand and social media management. Through facilitated dialogue between emerging artists and managers, the Arts Round Table aims to increase knowledge sharing and skills in the artistic community thus enabling individuals and organizations to succeed as professionals in the entertainment field and creative sector.

Turn Up the Volume . Raise Your Game

MTN Bushfire’s Arts Round Table is offering local performing artists the opportunity to submit their Electronic Press Kit (EPK) to a panel of Eswatini’s top promoters and stand a chance to win an all-expenses-paid professional live recording at House On Fire to the value of E50,000. The grand prize will bring together some of the kingdom’s leading industry experts in videography, sound & lighting, set design, personal styling & photography to elevate the winner’s brand to new heights.

The aim of the MTN Bushfire Arts Round Table EPK Press Play competition is to assist artists to raise their game and achieve a higher industry standard through updating, improving and submitting their EPKs for evaluation by leading promoters in Eswatini, based on industry standards of best practice. Applicants will also have the opportunity to attend a virtual Q&A session on EPKs with an industry professional during the application phase, on a date to be announced.

The Arts Round Table continues to provide opportunities for local artists to professionalise their brands. It is now more important than ever before for artists to be visible and accessible across multiple digital platforms, to keep their brands burning! This year’s competition focuses on how an artist can elevate their brand in the digital world through the use of a professionalised EPK, building on the foundation laid by the last Arts Round Table EPK Workshop held before the pandemic.

WINNER: A2Z

Congratulations to the MTN Bushfire EPK Press Play Competition Winner A2Z!!! A2Z delivered a stellar EPK, showing that they certainly are on the road to international standard. We believe that the professionally recorded Live Performance Video will immensely contribute towards professionalizing their musical career.

Grand Prize:

• A professionally recorded Live Performance Video – by Daniel Toro
• Styled and dressed by a top industry stylist – DALA Spaces
• Professional Still Photography
• Visibility on MTN Bushfire online platforms
• PR interviews on international music industry platforms
• Advice on fine-tuning their EPK

Thank you to each artist who took the time out to invest in their EPKs and musical journey. We look forward to working with you soon.

MTN Bushfire EPK Press Play Finalists

View Oxygen’s EPK :  Oxygen EPK
View Symphony’s EPK:  Symphony EPK
View Lution’s EPK:  Lution EPK
View !Sooks’ EPK:  !Sooks EPK
View Nomalungelo’s EPK:  Nomalungelo EPK
View Escowxrldwide’s EPK:  ESCO EPK
View Sethu’s EPK:  Sethu EPK
View A2Z’s EPK:  A2Z Fusion EPK
View King JR’s EPK: King JR EPK
View RK’s EPK:  R.K. EPK

Online resources:

Advice on putting together an effective EPK from Jess White, founder of Akum Agency, an independent artist management, booking agency, promotion and music consultancy company:

https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/polishing-your-epk-acces-2018

A good introductory video to EPKs from musical resource Reverbnation:

https://www.reverbnation.com/band-promotion/press_kit