We're super excited to announce that we're teaming up with Machester, UK's Un-Convention which is happening this week! They've partnered with StreamGM to livestream, for free, their sold-out Manchester music conference Thursday 8 and Friday 9 July (each day 10:10am - 17:30pm)
The 106th Un-Convention is taking place at the cities O2 Ritz venue, where delegates will hear from speakers including Frank Turner, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, and Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai, alongside a host of music organisations and other industry professionals.
The first in-person conference of its kind in the UK since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, the event will look at how the independent music sector has reacted to the crisis, the lessons that have been learned and will explore what happens next.
With physical tickets having sold out in advance, and due to limited in-person capacity at the venue, for the first time ever Un-Convention will be making the entire conference available to access live online, anywhere in the world, and for free.
Un-Convention co-founder Jeff Thompson says “We decided at the beginning of the year that it would be really important to have a conference in July as it was clear that we’d be at quite a pivotal point for the independent music sector. We always knew it would be challenging to pull together; however, we’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from the team at the O2 Ritz, our industry partners, funders and of course the speakers and delegates who are joining us.
Naturally, the delay in the lifting of restrictions has meant that we’re working to a lower capacity than we might have otherwise expected, and it’s a shame we can’t have more people joining us in person. However, we’re absolutely delighted to be working with StreamGM to ensure we can still connect with those unable to make it to Manchester.”
The conference itself will have a truly international reach with the stream also being hosted by partner organisations in the US, Europe and Africa.
Marie-Claire Daly, co-founder of the multi-award winning StreamGM cultural streaming platform, and Principal Culture Lead at Greater Manchester Combined Authority added: “StreamGM is delighted to be the official streaming partner of Un-Convention, helping people around the world access the brilliant line-up and important conversations scheduled over the two-day conference.
“As we continue to clarify the role of streaming in the post-lockdown world, we expect this type of hybrid partnership to become the norm, bringing audiences unbound by geography to physical events and opening up vital conversations to people who might not be able to be in the room.
“The quality and ambition of the two-day programme speaks volumes about the ongoing importance of Greater Manchester to the UK music industry and we’re proud to be partnering with the team on making this the biggest Un-Convention to date”.
Alongside renowned artists the two day-programme also features many of those who have been instrumental in supporting the independent music sector over the crisis, including Mark Davyd and Bev Whitrick from the Music Venue Trust, Kelly Wood (Musicians’ Union),
Annabella Coldrick (Music Managers Forum), Lucie Caswell (Music Publishers Association), David Martin (Featured Artists Coalition) and Paul Reed (Association of Independent Festivals).
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham will be giving a keynote speech, and elsewhere the programme will explore everything from the reopening of regional music scenes to the challenges of Brexit, with panellists including artists Laurie Vincent (Slaves), Sara Leigh Shaw (The Pearl Harts), John Robb (The Membranes), Rowetta, Elisabeth Elektra, Kapil Seshasayee, Cariss Auburn, Steve Lawson, LNA, Stewart Baxter (LIFE), Thom Rylance (The Lottery Winners) and Andy Carthy (Mr Scruff), as well as managers such as Trevor Dietz (Fontaines DC), Shikayla Nadine (Rebecca Garton / Levelle London), Caroline Trout (Everything / Django Django) and Conrad Murray (Blossoms / The Coral / The Courteeners), plus a host of independent promoters, labels, venues and festival organisers.
The conference takes place in person over two days at the O2 Ritz in Manchester and will be streamed live on the StreamGM and Un-Convention Facebook pages from 10.10am – 5.30pm on both Thursday 8 and Friday 9 July.
The physical event will run with a limited capacity and in accordance with Covid regulations and is made possible by the kind support of Arts Council England, Creative Europe, the Musicians’ Union and StreamGM.
More information can be found at: https://www.unconventionhub.org
Facebook @unconvention | Twitter @unconvention | Instagram @unconventionhub
About Un-Convention
Established in Salford in 2008, Un-Convention is a series of music events aimed at the independent music sector. These events have brought together thousands of artists and practitioners to share knowledge and expertise. Over the last thirteen years Un-Conventions have taken place across the world in cities ranging from Belfast and Brisbane to Oxford and Monrovia. Through this Un-Convention has helped to develop a number of new and innovative approaches to building sustainable careers and alternative models for the music industries. This includes the development of a number of music co-operatives in Africa, and a revolutionary UK based touring model called Off Axis. July 2021 will see the 106th Un-Convention taking place in Manchester, UK.
About StreamGM
StreamGM is a not-for-profit streaming service, showcasing amazing cultural talent from Greater Manchester and beyond. Driven by an authentic love of music, the arts, culture and a desire to get the biggest audiences for the best talent, StreamGM curate unforgettable live events. StreamGM collaborate with local organisations, event promoters, businesses, venue owners, individual artists, DJs and performers, through their vast community and digital platform. As the trailblazing cultural fundraising project United We Stream the team produced 48 original live shows and amassed more than 20 million views in nine months, raising a total of £583,000 on the platform for a wide variety of good causes including: Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Manchester Mind, LCR Cares, Eat Well Mcr, St Johns Hospice, and the GM Mayor’s Charity, supporting rough sleepers.