CONFERENCE SCHEDULE | 01.06.23 | THE MAC & OH YEAH CENTRE, BELFAST

VIEW DIGITAL PROGRAMME BOOKLET HERE.

OPENING KEYNOTES
10:00 - 11:00 | DOWNSTAIRS THEATRE, THE MAC

  • Chris Cooke (Founder & Managing Director, CMU)

    Chris Cooke provides a speedy update on the ongoing economics of streaming debate, including the five key priorities recently set out by the Council Of Music Makers, which is campaigning for more transparency in streaming, improved data management and a better deal for how music-makers share in digital income.

  • Linda Coogan Byrne (DEI & Culture Change Expert | Leader of Why Not Her? Movement)

    Linda will delve into our individual and collective power to become culture changers. She’ll provide tools for empowering delegates to make positive changes in their own lives, industries and communities; that will ultimately help instigate structural and cultural changes in the music and media industries.

  • Matt Hervey (Partner / Head of Artificial Intelligence Law, GOWLING WLG (UK) LLP)

    AI is being trained on the lyrics, music, voices and likenesses of musicians to generate new music and performances. Should artists invite it like Grimes, use it like David Guetta, cancel it (as was FN Meka), enforce your rights or licence them? Matt will cover all in this fascinating talk.

11:30 - 12:30 SESSIONS

  • Room: Artist Room, The MAC

    Moderator: Jo Wright (Music and Traditional Arts Development Officer, ACNI)
    Panellists: Danielle Carragher (Artist, Dani Larkin), Clare Sands (Artist), Brìghde Chaimbeul (Artist), Rónán Ó Snodaigh (Artist, Kila)

    Traditional and Folk artists discuss breaking barriers, driving ambition, international showcasing, and career longevity, as well as defying norms in the face of wider music industry challenges, by showcasing at SXSW, transforming their industry and paving the way for the next generation.

  • Room: Upstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Host: Michael Lawson (Journalist, Resident Advisor).
    Speakers: Ciara Power (Lead Researcher, Free The Night / PhD Candidate, Queen's University Belfast), Boyd Sleator (Co-Founder, Free The Night - Northern Ireland). Robbie Kitt (Musician / Co-Founder, Give Us The Night - Ireland), Gunnar Geßne (Project Development Manager, Hanover Night Council - Germany)

    Resident Advisor presents a roundtable discussion on the intersection of policy and community in the late-night creative economy. A diverse panel of experts aim to shed light on the challenges faced by the nightlife sector and explore opportunities for growth, innovation, and collaboration.

  • Room: Oh Yeah Music Centre (main room)
    Speaker: Jonathan Tait (Rights Manager, STV)

    From how to dissect legal language and terms used in recording contracts, sync licences and agreements, to making sure you get fair deals, this talk will provide artists, managers and any music industry professionals with crucial knowledge for the industry.

  • Room: The Works, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Sarah Glennane (CEO, SCGI)
    Panellists: Dina Coughlan (Music Supervisor / Co-Founder, Planet of Sound), Kormac (Artist / ‘Professionals’ Composer), Rory McPartland (Music Supervisor / Co-Founder, Planet of Sound)

    Meet the team behind the music for hit 2020 TV series ‘Professionals’ and hear the process of how they created the soundtrack - from carefully curating the commercial music choices, to composing original music that brought the director’s vision to life.

  • Room: The Hub, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Mark Graham (Podcast Presenter: ‘The Untold Story of BalconyTV’)
    Panellists: Stephen O'Regan (BalconyTV Founder), Joanne Collins (Producer of BalconyTV Cork), Stephen McGrath (Artist: Crow Black Chicken)

    This discussion will cover the remarkable journey of BalconyTV - from its humble beginnings on Irish TV to becoming a global cultural phenomenon syndicated with 100 cities worldwide and securing million-dollar deals, to its eventual and sudden decline in the 2010s.

  • Room: Downstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Moderator: Chris Cooke (Founder & Managing Director, CMU)
    Panellists: Jenny Goodwin (Policy Officer, IVORS Academy), Naomi Pohl (General Secretary, Musicians’ Union), David Martin (CEO, FAC)

    Carrying on from the opening keynote, this panel will discuss the UK government’s promise of “meaningful and lasting improvements” to ensure the digital music business works for both music-makers and the music industry. Hear from panellists on progress made so far and what still needs to be done.

  • Room: David McWilliams, 2nd Floor, Oh Yeah Centre

    Host: Chloe Lula (Senior Producer, Resident Advisor)
    *Please note, this is a limited capacity session.

    Interested in podcasting and multimedia journalism? Resident Advisor's Senior Producer, Chloe Lula, will teach the basics of audio production and editing for broadcast. Participants will also come away with tools to adapt stories for the air, create compelling scripts and work with music and recorded audio.

  • Producer Room: The Lab, 6th Floor, The MAC | Visual Artists Room: Backstage Green Room, The MAC

    Producer Host: Timmy Stewart (DJ / Producer)
    Visual Artist Host: Kev Freeny (Visual Artist & Creative Director).
    *Please note, this is a closed session.

    AVA’s Emerging Talent Programme returns for 2023 offering a creative opportunity for one DJ, Music Producer and Visual Artist in each category. Please note: this is a closed workshop session for the applicants of the programme to meet with mentors from their categories.

12.40 - 13.20 SESSIONS

  • Room: Upstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Moderator: Gill Dooley (CEO, AIM Ireland)
    Panellists: Brian Scally (Director, Paragon Records), Aine Cronin-McCartney (Label Manager, Bloom Records), Julie Hough (Co-Founder and Label Coordinator, VETA), Solomon Adesiyan (CEO, Trust It Entertainment)

    Hear from independent label experts on the new, forward-thinking approaches they’re taking to running indie labels. They’ll look at how indie labels have changed over the last decade, and the innovative business approaches that are helping break artists in 2023.

  • Room: Downstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Moderator: Dylan Murphy (District Magazine)
    Panellists: Emmett Costello (AVA Festival, Inside Moves), Molly King (Other Voices), Rich McGinnis (MAMA Festivals, Warehouse Project, Parklife, Circus), Will Rolfe (All Together Now, Forbidden Fruit)

    Programming line-ups, nailing creative direction, championing visual arts, representing marginalised communities and grassroots movements from homegrown talent to unsung heroes – this panel brings together four promoters working across different areas of the industry to talk about what makes a great festival tick.

  • Room: Oh Yeah Music Centre (main room)

    Moderator: Aaron Casey (Music Rights & Royalties Consultant, BIMM Dublin)
    Panellists: Steph Carter (Head of Education, Marshall), Megan Devereux (Education Coordinator, Marshall). Hannah Richardson (Artist, CHERYM)

    Hear from Marshall reps on how they’re disrupting the music industry with radically new ways of operating their label, artist management and live agency. The panel will delve into the ways they work with bands to structure deals and offer resources in a way that’s artist-friendly.

  • Room: The Lab, 6th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Sarah Glennane (CEO: Screen Composers Guild of Ireland).
    Panellists: Nainita Desai (Award-Winning Composer)

    Hear from composer of Oscar nominated, BAFTA and Cannes-winning feature documentaries, Nainita Desai, on the nature of scoring music for documentaries with delicate subject matters and how she creates music that honours the rawness of storylines.

  • Room: The Hub, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Speaker: Dunstan Bruce (Director / Artist, Chumbawamba), Sophie Robinson (Director), Joe Hastings (Head of Music Minds Matter, Help Musicians)

    Hear about the journey that led to the creation of 2023 feature documentary ‘I Get Knocked Down,’ which explores the rise of band Chumbawamba and their epoch defining anthem with the same name, including the struggles experienced by their frontman, Dunstan Bruce, in his attempt to “get back up again.”

  • Room: Artist Room, The MAC

    Host: Dave Jackson (Singer/The Voice Contestant)

    Join singer and The Voice contestant, Dave Jackson, for the best tips in singing - including how to warm up correctly and getting the best from your voice in every performance. This is an unmissable vocal masterclass on how to use your voice.

  • Room: The Works, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Nigel McAlpine (Immersive Technology Lead, Catapult Digital)
    Panellists: Alex Jenkins (Executive Creative Director, Nexus Studios), Deepa Mann-Kler (CEO, Neon)

    Join the futuristic-focussed and forward-thinking creative agency behind the Gorillaz Skinny Ape immersive AR Experience and artist/director behind The Metaverse & Me AR and AR Street Art to discuss the opportunities that are giving artists and creators unlimited opportunities for creative expression in three dimensions.

13:30 - 14:30 SESSIONS

  • Room: Artist Room, The MAC

    Speaker: Matthew Whiteside (Composer / Author / Artistic Director of ‘The Night With…’)
    Introduced By: Jo Wright

    Join Matthew Whiteside (Self-Release Guide Book for Composers & Musicians) to hear tips and tricks for setting realistic budgets, running recording sessions and getting your music on major streaming platforms in the Classical sector.

  • Room: Downstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Moderator: Gemma Bradley (BBC Radio 1 Presenter & Artist)
    Panellists: Sarah McBriar (Founder of AVA Music & Arts Festival), Sally C (DJ), Caoimhe Moreland (DJ)

    BBC Radio Ulster’s Across The Line Introducing brings together industry experts to discuss how artists can break into the music industry as EDM, Electronica or Dance acts. They’ll touch on how to build up an audience, make contacts, book gigs, and the experiences of women who have paved the way in this field.

  • Room: Oh Yeah Music Centre (main room)

    Moderator: Élise Mollé (Recording and Mixing Engineer)
    Panellists: Brian Coney (Editor, The Thin Air), Niall Byrne (Founder, Nialler9)

    Writing a great press release is an art form - and is a vital tool for bringing artists publicity. Join us to hear the best tips for how to write a killer press release that will get you noticed and help you publicise yourself.

  • Room: The Works, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Stuart Fleming (Head of Membership Development Scotland & Northern Ireland, PRS)
    Panellists: Robin Buckley (Senior Creative, Ninja Tune / Just Isn't Music), Phil Taggart (Broadcaster, BBC Radio Ulster), Suze Gurusinge (Artist / Manager, One House Artists)

  • Room: The Lab, 6th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Abbie Triggs (Director of Operations and Business Development, On Music).
    Panellists: Catherine Grimes (Music Supervisor, ‘Blue Lights’), Louise Gallagher (Producer, ‘Blue Lights’), Simon Pursehouse (Global Director of Music Services, Sentric Music)

    Hear from the creative team behind the hit 2023 BBC TV series ‘Blue Lights’ on their process for selecting music, including an array of NI artists to enhance the script, with crucial tips from experienced industry experts Simon Pursehouse of Sentric Music and Abbie Triggs of On Music.

  • Room: The Hub, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Charlene Hegarty (Talent Development Manager, Oh Yeah Music Centre)
    Panellists: Tony Arthy (Director, Worn Out Creative / Vans Music), Benjamin McGee (Artist manager: Lemonade Shoelace, Chalk, Joshua Burnside)

    What can brand partnerships do for artists? How have globally renowned brand, Vans, ventured into the music industry, creating incredible opportunities for emerging artists? Hear about their ‘Musicians Wanted’ competition which gave NI artist Lemonade Shoelace the opportunity to support Yungblud in Mexico City in 2022.

  • Room: Upstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Moderator: Lynne Best (Managing Partner, The Fourth Pillar)
    Panellists: Ciaran Scullion (Head of Music & Opera, ACNI), Westley Holdsworth (Grants and Programmes Manager, PRS Foundation), Hannah Gibson (Engagement Officer, HMNI)

    Hear from key UK music funding organisations who offer support, advice and opportunities for music projects. Whether you’re a music creator, organisation, or working across creative disciplines, this panel will provide an insight to funding, grants and upcoming schemes available in a range of creative sectors.

14:45 - 15:45 SESSIONS

  • Room: Downstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Moderator: Bekah Molony (Artist Manager: Celaviedmai, Negro Impacto)
    Panellists: Phil Jones (VP Artist Management, MNRK: Anand Wilder, Ailbhe Reddy), Maria Torres (Artist Manager, MOTHER ARTISTS: IDLES, Heavy Lungs, 86TVs), Conor Cusack (Artist Manager: Saint Sister, THALA, Jed Holland)

    How can an artist successfully get the attention of an established manager? This panel will offer advice and tips on finding a manager who shares your vision, to taking steps towards approaching them and building up a rapport - as well as what to expect from the artist-manager relationship.

  • Room: The Lab, 6th Floor, The MAC

    Host: Chloe Lula (Senior Producer, Resident Advisor)
    Speaker: Héctor Oaks (DJ)

    In partnership with Resident Advisor, the RA Exchange Live returns for an in-depth interview with Electronic Artist, Héctor Oaks.

  • Room: Oh Yeah Music Centre (main room)

    Moderator: Charlene Hegarty (Talent Development Manager, Oh Yeah Music Centre)
    Panellists: Gill Dooley (CEO, AIM Ireland), Lea Heart (Artist), Priscilla Kotey (SVP, Warner Ireland), Angela Dorgan (CEO, First Music Contact)

    Industry experts discuss current and upcoming opportunities available to help artists develop their craft and learn new skills for the music industry. Panellists will deep dive into the steps you can take to make sure you are covering all the bases and making sounds in all the right places.

  • Room: Upstairs Theatre, The MAC

    Moderator: Aaron Casey (Music Rights & Royalties Consultant, BIMM Dublin)
    Panellists: Rocky O’Reilly (Founder of Start Together Studio), Iain Archer (Grammy-Nominated Songwriter), Hannah Peel (Composer / Producer), Stuart Fleming (Head of Membership Development Scotland & Northern Ireland, PRS)

    In a landscape where collaborations are increasingly popular across all genres, this panel will touch on everything from where to start when developing a producer / co-writer relationship, to how to prepare for, and bring your A-game to, co-songwriting sessions.

  • Room: The Hub, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Pamela McCormick (Director, UD Music)
    Panellists: Dylan Murphy (Head of Content, District Magazine, Manager: WhipItConall), WhipitConall (Artist)

    An in-depth discussion on the realities and growing pains involved with starting out as an emerging artist / bedroom producer and paving the way towards pursuing a serious career in music; featuring an insight to the extraordinary journey of NI artist, WhipitConall.

  • Room: The Works, 4th Floor, The MAC

    Moderator: Chris Cooke (Founder & Managing Director, CMU)
    Panellist: Phil Nelson (Music Lecturer, BIMM Institute)

    CMU's Pathways Into Music Foundation seeks to build bridges between everyone involved in educating and supporting new, exciting music talent. The Foundation's directors will update you on their latest developments and discuss the ways they hope to support anyone pursuing creative disciplines.

CLOSING KEYNOTE
16:00 - 17:00 | DOWNSTAIRS THEATRE, THE MAC

  • Speaker: Tim Wheeler (Artist: Ash)
    Moderator: Marie Louise Muir (BBC Presenter)

    An unmissable deep dive into perhaps the most iconic concert of the last 25 years. After the Good Friday Agreement had been drafted, a referendum was put to the people of Northern Ireland to adopt it and signal a roadmap to a new future. At a critical moment before the vote and in order to achieve a “Yes” outcome - an unprecedented concert took place for 300 young people in The Waterfront, Belfast. This is the story of that event.