Come and join our (virtual) party

A NATIONAL festival has been launched in Oldham — but in an alternative reality.

Oldham’s virtual world, called Second Oldham, is the venue for an internet arts festival that launches at 6.30pm tonight with an online party.

The NOISE festival, to showcase the creative talents of under-25s, has shown Oldham to be one of the most creative areas in the country.

Its launch is the first of its kind in the UK and will showcase the best work from 8,500 submissions, including film, music and art.

Second Oldham is developed and co-ordinated by University Centre Oldham, part of the University of Huddersfield, and staff have developed the 3D internet “island” that’s the centre point for the festival.

The event will be streamed live on BBC big screens in Liverpool, Hull and Swindon, and will help celebrate the launch of the Cultural Olympiad, a four-year celebration of culture leading to the London 2012 Olympics.

NOISEfestival.com is a charity established to help talented young people break into creative industries.

It was launched in 2006 when media coverage of the last festival reached over 700 million people across the UK, Europe and US and generated eight million visits on the www.noisefestival.com website.

This year’s event showed the North-West had the most submissions (607 or 15.2 per cent) with Oldham one of the most creative areas with 67 — higher than cities like Leeds (34) and Edinburgh (26).

Oldham Council leader, Councillor Howard Sykes, said: “We should be proud and celebrate the talent of Oldham’s youth.

“To be in fourth position nationally with the number of artistic submissions is a fantastic achievement by our young people.”

Professor Jim Yip, Dean of computing and engineering at the University of Huddersfield, said: “We judge our success by that of our students, staff and the organisations that we work with, and we are incredibly proud of the students and staff who have contributed to the development of Second Oldham.”

NOISEfestival.com chief executive Denise Proctor said: “The charity aims to help young creative amateurs become tomorrow’s professionals and to create a level playing field, regardless of their background.”