Founding member of both Human League and Heaven 17, Martyn Ware, lines up alongside Sylvia Anginotti, Sheffield City Council's Cabinet Member For Employment and Enterprise, to unveil the new Digital Entrepreneurs programme, The Electric Village, at Devonshire Street's Forum venue next Wednesday evening.

Once again Sheffield positions itself at the centre of electronic innovation and The Electric Village is thought to be the first project of its kind in the UK and a great fit with Martyn Wares status as a pioneer of European electronic music.

Martyn Ware continues to be a leading figure in electronic music - founding the Illustrious Company with Erasures Vince Clarke in 2002 and developing radical acoustic experiences worldwide with The Future of Sound.

Martyn's projects run across the spectrum with work commissioned from companies which range from The Royal Ballet to the Liverpool's City of Culture.

Martyn said: "I think The Electric Village is a great idea and only wish such an initiative would have been around when the Human League started !

"The only route to market for us at that time was independent record label Fast Records which, thankfully, worked out well for us."

Martyn will be joined on the night by a new generation of electronic musicians from Sheffield's Breakthru collective and their CD will be available on the night.

Around 200 guests are expected at the launch which will showcase some of the first beneficiaries of the scheme which include photographer Jacqui Bellamy, make up artist Fuchsia Darley and re-cycler Malcolm Camp.

The event also includes a live performance by the Screaming Mimi and DJ sets from Martyn Ware with Ralph Razor showcasing emerging Sheffield talent.

Jackie Bellamy's photographic exhibition Latrino Girls featuring the jewels of the city's nightlife can also be seen before the exhibition moves on to London.

Digital Entrepreneurs, part of the BiG – Make it Your Business programme, is designed and implemented by Sheffield Independent Film.

Digital Entrepreneurs will create the country's first 'Electric Village'; a virtual community of home working, web-savvy business-owners. Deborah Egan, director of Sheffield Independent Film, said:

"Digital Entrepreneurs is all about enabling talent and ideas by providing hi-tech support, mentoring and new digital routes to market.

"The project provides a one-stop designer service for a business that has the ability to trade on line and is particularly tailored to home-workers and existing companies who want to get an extra competitive edge by taking the digital route."

lFurther information from www.digitalentrepreneurs.org.uk


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