- Presented by Independent Venue Week and Independent Venue Community, the annual stakeholder conference takes place tomorrow (August 2nd) at 229 London, bringing together grassroots music venues, promoters and partners for a day of discussion, debate and inspiration.
- Preparing for IVW’s 10th anniversary, and inspiring venues to engage in more IVC activity, 2022’s event will focus on financial sustainability, unlocking the talent of young people, accessibility, mental health, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Delegates to be updated on the recently launched Independent Venue Community initiative and benefit from 1-2-1 meetings with leading independent music agents and funders
- Representatives from Arts Council England, See Tickets, PRS Foundation, PPL, Youth Music, AIP, Sound Connections, The Warren, Stay Up Late, Attitude is Everything, Come Play With Me, BBC 6 Music and Secretly Group among the speakers
AUGUST 1st 2022
The team behind Independent Venue Week (IVW) will host the 3rd Independents Day conference tomorrow (August 2nd) at 229 London.
Supported by Arts Council England, See Tickets, PPL, Attitude is Everything and loadin.com, the free-to-attend event involves a day of presentations, discussions and networking, bringing together representatives from more than 100 grassroots music venues, promoters and partners and enabling them to meet up and network.
Delegates will be updated on the recently-launched Independent Venue Community (IVC) initiative, and benefit from 1-2-1 sessions with leading independent booking agents and funders, as well as specific discussions on financial sustainability, unlocking the talent of young people, accessibility, mental health and LGBTQIA+ community.
Independents Day will also act as a key part of the preparations for Independent Venue Week, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in Jan/Feb 2023.
The full programme can be found below.
Alongside the core IVW team, speakers will include representatives from organisations and companies including Arts Council England, See Tickets,PRS Foundation, PPL, Youth Music, See Tickets, AIP, Sound Connections, The Warren, Stay Up Late, Attitude is Everything, Come Play With Me, BBC 6 Music and Secretly Group.
Sybil Bell, founder, Independent Venue Week:
“Having successfully launched our new Independent Venue Community initiative last month, we want to continue that momentum with our venues as well as look at Independent Venue Week and plans for our 10th anniversary in January 2023. Independents Day is a key part of these preparations, allowing us to talk face-to-face with our community and for them to meet and network with funders, agents and promoters.
“We also want to push forward on some really important issues that will help ensure the grassroots music sector is as inclusive and vibrant as possible. I’m really excited at the range and diversity of speakers we have onboard, and truly grateful for everyone’s continued support.”
FULL PROGRAMME
INTRODUCTIONS AND OVERVIEWS
11.00 Welcome & Meet the Team
11.05 #10YearsofIVW
11.30 Introduction to Independent Venue Community
SESSIONS
11.50 Financial Sustainability
2.05 Unlocking Talent of Young People, On & Off Stage
2.50 Is It Really Access For All?
3.50 Mental Health Help Is At Hand
4.40 Club Queer – Safe Spaces for LGBTQIA+ People
STAGE SNAPSHOTS
2.00 See Tickets
3.35 Attitude is Everything
DROP-IN – MAIN ROOM
Loadin.com
PPL
DRINKS
3.40 – 3.50 Tea & Coffee
5.30 Bar Opens
SESSION 1: FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
ADRIAN COOKE – ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND (M)
Adrian Cooke is Music Relationship Manager for Arts Council England, based in the South East area but with a national role for Contemporary Popular Music. A champion for increased public funding for the rock & pop sector and talent development, Adrian has previous experience in promoting live music, running festivals, record label management and rights licensing.
DOM FRAZER – THE BOILEROOM, GUILDFORD
Dominique Frazer is at the helm of the good ship Boileroom, the South East’s alternative live music and creative arts hub. As well as welcoming musicians and bands from all over the globe, the venue is home to five artists studios, that include jewellers, tattooists, fine artists, and a Makerspace to boot! Dom and her incredible team book an eclectic programme of emerging, national and international musicians, as well as creative and wellbeing workshops that support and benefit their local community. 2018 started off with a bang, with a live broadcast in the venue from Steve Lamacq and the BBC 6 Music team as part of Independent Venue Week; also, in that year the venue won Music Week’s Spirit of the Scene award that champions grassroots music venues. Strengthening the local community is a cornerstone of The Boileroom’s ethos.
REMI HARRIS MBE – REMI HARRIS CONSULTING
I’m a trainer, a speaker, a writer and a coach. I create training programs for organisations that work with freelancers, business owners and artists – and with individuals from the creative industries: think music, visual arts, film. I’m from London and work all over the UK and beyond! I have always loved sharing what I know (coming from a family of teachers!) and working with creative and artistic people (also a family of musicians and music managers). My background is in operations – I love a spreadsheet and a plan and have never been in a role that I wasn’t the first person to do – so the constant learning and discovery kept me excited by this for many years.
However, after being made redundant from a role in 2012 I found that I no longer desired being employed by one company and set out to create a professional life that fit me perfectly, earned me an honest living and brought me joy. I also wrote a book, made two children, set up a social enterprise and was honoured to receive an MBE for services to the music industry along the way. I now have a practice where I am able to help others to shape their business in a way that fits them.
WILL “SUPERSONIC” HARRISS – TRUST & FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER
Will has been fundraising for 15 years for orchestras, ensembles, venues, and a social mobility charity. He is utterly passionate about everyone – young and old, no matter their background or prior experience – having the chance to have music and the arts as a central part of their lives, because of all the benefits it gives. Originally from Nottingham, his earliest musical experiences were through being a chorister, and music of all types has been a constant thread throughout his own life since then. In his spare time, he occasionally runs, often bakes, and loves having adventures outdoors – the wilder the better. Will’s role within IVC is to raise funds for the organisation, to ensure its sustainability for many years to come.
WESTLEY HOLDSWORTH – PRS FOUNDATION
Westley is a Grants and Programme Manager at the PRS Foundation, working across The Open Fund for Music Creators, the Open Fund for Organisations, The International Showcase Fund, and the Oram Awards. Before joining the PRS Foundation he was the International Coordinator at the New Zealand Music Commission helping to launch and grow the international careers of a diverse range of artists. He has a background in DIY and independent music as a musician in metal, noise, and electronic projects and an active interest in games sound design and post-production.
JANA JAMMAL – YOUTH MUSIC
I’m a grants and learning officer at Youth Music. I support around 80 grant holders in the South East and South West of England with their projects, from the initial application stage to delivery and reporting. I also support and advise potential applicants with their queries. Born and bred in Beirut Lebanon, I have a performance arts background both on the production and performing side! Currently based in London.
JOHN ROSTRON – ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS
John Rostron is the Development Manager at From The Fields and the Chair of the Association of Independent Promoters. He took up post at From The Fields in the Spring of 2022 after a period working as a freelance bid writer, securing over £4M in the past three years for music and arts organisations. The AIP brings together independent promoters of all sizes to support, network and represent them as one of the most important parts of the live music ecosystem. Previously John co-founded the multi-venue new music festival Sẁn with BBC DJ Huw Stephens and was a promoter in Wales for over a decade, taking artists from grassroots music venues to Arenas. He worked with Sound Diplomacy on writing Cardiff’s Music City ambition and co-founded the Welsh Music Prize to support new music in Wales. When he’s not writing bids or at gigs, he likes running up mountains.
CHARDINE TAYLOR-STONE – BIG JOANIE
Chardine Taylor-Stone plays drums in Big Joanie and provides backing vocals as well as acting as the band’s eloquent advocacy spokeswoman during their shows. She is also a prominent voice in the LGBTQ community, is working on a book about Black feminism and is the former vice chair the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Musician’s Union. Outside of the music world, Chardine recently graduated from Birkbeck’s law school and is looking to put her LLM towards training to be a barrister, specialising in improving employment rights for immigrants and British poc communities in the UK.
SESSION 2: UNLOCKING TALENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE, ON AND OFF STAGE
LOUISE HENRY – YOUTH MUSIC
Hailing from Newcastle, and currently based in London. I’m a senior Grants and Learning Officer for North East (formerly West Midlands and Yorkshire). I also look after our Incubator Fund Grants designed to help open up access to sustainable careers in music for people aged 18-25, particularly those who are underrepresented.
ANGELLE JOSEPH – INDEPENDENT VENUE COMMUINITY (M)
Community spirit all lies within the work Angelle does. She is a big fan of music and has been since forever. Angelle grew up listening to and loving grime and picked up all the other genres on the way. Angelle started community radio and ended up on local radio presenting BBC Introducing in Suffolk. Now presenting two shows and work within the community to support inclusivity and representation especially for young people and within media, we are delighted to welcome her on board as part of our community programme.
JODIE LANGFORD – THE WARREN, HULL
Jodie Langford is a spoken word artist from Hull and is currently working as a Creative Writing and Project Coordinator at The Warren Youth Project. Jodie began writing and performing as part of Arts Celebrating Equality at The Warren in 2016, the year when she first entered the building as a young person.
She is now collaborating with Hull’s ‘King Of Electro’ producer Endoflevelbaddie, who has complimented her delivery of socially aware spoken word with a mash-up of dance floor flavours ranging from electro rhythms to DnB beats. Within her role at The Warren, Jodie is running Three Minute Monologues, a campaign that supports young people to use creative writing and theatre as a safe space for self-expression and exploration of mental health issues.
DAVID PLUMTREE – CAFÉ INDIEPENDENT
David created Cafe Indie in 2014, bringing together different elements from his background into one project – a cafe, music venue and youth work project. Cafe Indie is a Co-Operative owned and run by its members and set in an enormous four storey building. David is a strong fundraiser, having delivered against millions of public funding for the benefit of over 1200 young people, whilst growing the business and reputation of the Cafe as a lively gig venue with one golden rule – don’t be a dick!
MILLI-ROSE RUBIN – SOUND CONNECTIONS
Milli-Rose is a musician and writer. Using her personal experiences, Milli-Rose writes and performs material around the topics of mental health, the housing crisis in UK, and how creativity has sustained a form of therapy throughout uncertain chapters. Through writing and music, Milli-Rose explores these topical issues, which has led to creative facilitation work with young people.
As an active member of Wired4Music, Milli-Rose has immersed herself into the performative opportunities, networking events and other partnerships. From working at Rich Mich, to now working at the Roundhouse, Milli-Rose uses her personal creative practice to compliment her work life and work with young people. “Young people categorically need creative resources to cope with the intense transitions growing up. Through my own practice, work and facilitation interest, I am working towards this in any way that I can”.
SESSION 3: IS IT REALLY ACCESS FOR ALL?
LEE DODDS – ART AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE
I have been involved in and have loved music for my whole life. I saw The Smiths as a 16 yr old and have been with my husband, Crosstown Concerts promoter Conal Dodds for 27 years, so I have a very in-depth knowledge of the workings of the live music industry. I manage the art career of Bristol legend Big Jeff Johns, having successfully launched him as a painter and artist in 2021. We have three children, our 24 year old son Gabe has Down’s syndrome and autism and loves live music, so we are aware of the difficulties some disabled people experience in attending live events.
CRAIG GOULD – ARTIST & MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGNER
Craig Gould is a UK based Folk/Americana artist & mental health awareness campaigner. With bloggers across the globe drawing comparisons with artistic royalty such as Fleetwood Mac, Cat Stevens, Billy Joel and Leonard Cohen, Craig’s first three singles all released to fantastic critical acclaim. A journey that started from his own severe mental health illness, Craig used the healing power of creativity to process his recovery and commit his self discovery to song. Energised by using those experiences to help others in need, Craig now works in partnership with the mental health charity CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably – and will be donating profits from his forthcoming album release to them to help those who need it most.
KRIS HALPIN – DISKINETIC IS? (M)
I’m a musician, technologist and innovator. I’m also a disabled person, and inclusion is at the heart of everything I do. My work happens at the intersection between music, technology and disability. I make music as Dyskinetic, mostly with the groundbreaking MiMu Gloves. I’m also an educator, music producer and activist. Dyskinetic is part one-man band, part contemporary art project, part Disability inclusion strategy. Led by Disabled artist Kris Halpin, Dyskinetic explores and amplifies the intersection between Music & Disability.
SESSION 4: MENTAL HEALTH HELP IS AT HAND
NORMAN BEECHER – MUSIC SUPPORT
Norman is an internationally certified drug and alcohol counsellor. He has extensive experience in working with addictions and in the training and supervision of counsellors in the field, having graduated from the world renowned Hazelden Foundation School for Addiction Studies counsellor training programme in 1997. At the heart of the work Norman does is Person-Centered Therapy supported by various approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Twelve Step Facilitation. He has worked internationally in Bermuda, the USA, and the Caribbean. He has helped to develop Music Support’s volunteer training and supervision for the last two years on an ad hoc basis. Norman is an approved MHFA England instructor and certified recovery specialists.
CLAIRE CORDEAUX CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR PERFORMING ARTS MEDICINE (BAPAM)
Claire Cordeaux is Chief Executive of the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, a unique national medical charity which looks after the health of performers across the UK. With over nearly 300 clinicians in the UK, BAPAM provides health assessments to individual performers, mental health therapies and health and wellbeing education, training and resources about best practice in performing arts health. Claire has a professional background in the UK NHS and before BAPAM, was global Director of an independent healthcare company. She is an active musician in a psychedelic Celtic folk fusion band and has supported a number of arts initiatives and festivals from youth music projects to running a boat stage to connect performers in coastal areas.
ERIN GIBSON – OPERATIONS MANAGER & BOOKKEEPER (M)
Hailing from the north, plant and dog mum Erin graduated from LIPA in 2017 and has spent most of her life in venues both on and off stage as a drummer and in various crew roles. From selling merch on international tours, to repping local shows: Erin’s passion lies in making live music happen. Erin moved to London in 2018 to become an operational manager for a music industry charity and is now Operations Manger and Bookkeeper at Independent Venue Week and Independent Venue Community.
KEZIA RACHER – HMUK – MUSIC MINDS MATTER
Kezia has worked for Help Musicians for 5 1/2 years and is part of the Music Minds Matter team, which provides a range of services around mental health and emotional well-being to those who work in the music industry. She was involved in setting up the Music Minds Matter 24-hour support line which launched in December 2017. She has worked in the charity sector for over 30 years, developing, delivering and managing services which provide information, advocacy, emotional support and counselling.
PAUL RICHARDS – STAY UP LATE
Paul is the founder of the charity Stay Up Late which promotes active social lives for adults with learning disabilities. He also started the Gig Buddies volunteer befriending project which is now in 17 locations around the UK and in Australia. The project uses a shared love of music and culture as the basis to form ongoing friendships for socially isolated people. Paul has worked in social care for over 27 years and was also the bass player in ‘inclusive’ punk band ‘Heavy Load’. The band were also the subject of award-winning feature documentary, also called Heavy Load. (One of Mark Kermode’s 5 favourite rockumentaries of the 21st century).
SESSION 5: CLUB QUEER – SAFE SPACES FOR LGBTQIA+ PEOPLE
KYRI CHRISOSTOMOU – MANAGER, COMMUNITY PROGRAMME, IVC (M)
Kyri has overseen the rollout of the new Independent Venue Community programme since 2021. A country bumpkin in the big smog, Kyri is originally from Staffordshire. His background is a hybrid of music and business. After moving to London to study music at BIMM, Kyri ran an independent artist project, gaining funding from HMUK. This was supported by Wonderland, Clash, Gay Times, BBC Introducing and Foundation FM. Live highlights included gigs at Ronnie Scotts, The Social and BBC Introducing Live. Alongside this, he was an administrator for a small family property business, supporting general day-to-day operations across the board. He’s also assisted at music events, gigs & projects including Springboard Live – a national project which promoted new music acts through immersive live music concerts, powered by people aged 16-25, in partnership with BBC Introducing.
MAXIE GEDGE – SECRETLY GROUP
Born in Norwich, Maxie is an enthusiastic and committed music advocate with a strong focus on talent development, creative communications and international network building. She has sat on the jury for awards such as MOBO Unsung, the Anchor Awards, and the BRIT Awards. In 2021 Maxie joined Secretly Group as European Project Manager. Maxie is especially passionate about supporting underrepresented voices in music. Before Secretly Group, Maxie worked at PRS Foundation, managing Keychange, the international movement for gender equality in the music industry. During her time at PRS Foundation, Maxie was recognised on the shesaid.so Alternative Power 100 List 2020, the IQ Magazine LGBTIQ List celebrating 20 queer pioneers, and the Music Week Women in Music Roll of Honour 2021.
ANGELLE JOSEPH – INDEPENDENT VENUE COMMUNITY
Community spirit all lies within the work Angelle does. She is a big fan of music and has been since forever. Angelle grew up listening to and loving grime and picked up all the other genres on the way. Angelle started community radio and ended up on local radio presenting BBC Introducing in Suffolk. Now presenting two shows and work within the community to support inclusivity and representation especially for young people and within media, we are delighted to welcome her on board as part of our community programme.
ANTONIA LINES – COME PLAY WITH ME
Antonia is Diversity Project Manager at Come Play With Me, a CIC Record Label based in Leeds. As well as bringing people from marginalised backgrounds into the music industry through workshops, mentoring and events, they are responsible for ensuring CPWM’s activities are inclusive and represent a diverse range of experiences. Outside of their role at Come Play With Me, they are an LGBTQ+ inclusion consultant and have worked with a wide range of organisations including Youth Music, BPI and Anjunabeats as well as corporate HR teams, NHS providers and others. Antonia is also currently the Club Secretary at the UK’s largest LGBT football club, Stonewall FC, where they score approximately 1 goal a year.
CAMILLA PIA – ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER AT BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC
Camilla is an experienced music curator with a passion for discovering new talent and a history of working in streaming, BBC radio and television, journalism and with record labels and artists. Camilla is Assistant Commissioner at BBC Radio 6 Music, formerly Alternative Music lead at Apple Music UK where they managed Alternative and Rock Playlists, including launching Apple’s flagship Alternative Playlist Antidote and Hyperpop Playlist Glitch. Camilla has also DJ-d and booked bands for various London club nights and written for NME, Dazed, Kerrang! and Mojo. In 2020 they were a Judge for The Visionary Honours (which champions diversity in the arts), in 2015 they were nominated for Indie Champion at the AIM Independent Music Awards and in 2021 they were inducted into the Roll Of Honour at the Music Week Women In Music Awards.
