Neuroscientists, The Futureheads and a host of music industry pioneers announced for ground-breaking conference and showcase

18 February 2020 - Press release

Globally renowned music conference Un-Convention has announced the lineup for its return to the Niamos Theatre in Manchester 4-6 March 2020.

Following the success of the 2019 event, which saw artists and music industry professionals from 44 towns and cities across the UK, as well as 17 European countries descending on the iconic Hulme venue, organisers have revealed their most ambitious lineup yet and an extra day too. Over three nights and two days, some of the most cutting-edge pioneers from independent music will gather to discuss the current challenges and opportunities of the sector.

Labels such as Partisan Records, home of post-punk phenomena IDLES and Fontaines DC, PIAS, who’s roster includes Enter Shikari, Editors and Ghostpoet and Matador Records, who count Queens of The Stone Age and Interpol amongst their current artists, discuss the realities of releasing music and developing strategies in the modern era. Meanwhile, artists such as Jeremy Pritchard from Mercury-prize nominated Everything Everything and Ivor Novello (The Ivors) winning songwriter Cherry Ghost take part in panels and talks covering everything from creativity to building careers. A particular coup for this year’s event is the appearance of world-renowned neuroscientist, author and musician Dr Daniel J. Levitin, an expert on how music affects our brains, for what promises to be a truly unique and insightful session.

The conference also features a host of artist managers, venues, festivals and booking agents from across the country, as well as key industry organisations such as the Association of Independent Music, Music Publishers Association, Musicians’ Union and the Music Venue Trust.

Following the debates, discussions and networking, the 118-year-old theatre will play host to an exciting array of independent artists. Manchester favourites Honeyfeet return to the stage, fronted by BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ‘Singer of the Year’ Ríoghnach Connolly, plus emerging acts such as; Saytr Play, Blanketman, Jack Found, Diving Station & Tranqua Lite. Another highlight sees Sunderland outfit The Futureheads making a welcome return to the city, offering a rare opportunity to see the festival favourites in an intimate setting.

Un-Convention co-founder, Jeff Thompson adds “We’re so excited to be bringing such a diverse and inspirational group of people from across the country together here in Manchester. It’s a really great time to be involved in music, but there’s also lots of challenges faced at all levels and the real purpose of Un-Convention is to bring people together to look at what we can do to overcome them. We have everyone from self-releasing artists to globally recognised labels coming along, and at the core of our events there’s a strong sense of camaraderie, we try and make sure it’s a very open and welcoming environment for people to meet up and find inspiration. I’m particularly excited to welcome a whole host of music professionals from across Europe as part of the JUMP Music Market Accelerator programme, and it will be really interesting to see what new ideas and networks we can develop with them.”
    
Un-Convention Manchester is a conference for the makers and champions of independent music and takes place at Niamos Radical Arts & Centre, Warwick St, Hulme, Manchester M15 5EU. Opening on Wednesday 4 March with a talk and music from award-winning songwriter Simon Aldred, followed by the conference and gigs on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March 2020.

Website: https://www.unconventionhub.org
Tickets: https://www.universe.com/unconvention2020
Facebook: @unconvention Twitter: @unconvention Instagram: @unconventionhub