Project Co-ordinator (Events & Release) | WEBSITE
Ed Townend works part-time for the Forté Project, mainly concentrating on putting together the events the project puts on for its acts. He also works in the second half of the project’s year to release, promote and create content for acts around the music they have created whilst being on the project. Ed also works as a sound engineer and events technician, manages the Cardiff band Junior Bill and founded the Cardiff Music Awards in 2015.
Communications Officer | WEBSITE
Louise works part-time for the Forté Project. Louise concentrates on creating social media content for the project and sets up artist workshops and progress meetings. Louise also runs a music site, Unique Lullaby, and interviews artists across the UK and at festivals.
BBC HORIZONS | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Simon Parton is a Swansea musician who coordinates the Swansea Fringe Festival and the Swansea Music Hub. Also freelancing for the BBC Wales / Arts Council’s Horizons project, Simon’s passion is making music accessible to all – be it through live music, making music & more.
Bryn is a football reporter with Sky Sports by day but, by night, he’s one half of a promotions company, Oddjob, who have been putting on gigs in Leeds since 2016. They recently put on a sell-out show featuring Welsh bands Omaloma and Lastigband in their first ever appearance in the city.
TURNSTILE MUSIC | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Alongside Gruffydd Jones, formed the influential Ankst Records in 1988 which went on to release over eighty records from the likes of Datblygu, Y Cyrff, Gorky’s, Super Furry Animals etc. Subsequently formed Turnstile alongside Kevin Tame who have managed amongst others Perfume Genius, Girls, Cate Le Bon etc and continue to manage Gruff Rhys, Gwenno, Charlotte Church etc. Recently, also alongside Kevin Tame, formed PYST – the first Welsh global distribution and label services set up aimed at Welsh indie labels and self-releasing artists – which by now distribute and promote releases by the Libertino, Ikaching, Sprigyn Ymborth, Jigcal, Cosh and Sienco labels amongst many others.
Damian has worked in the Manchester music scene for 30 years. Starting off from selling merch for Madchester-era bands, he spent time in a long-forgotten indie band before he became a self-employed live booking agent and manager, representing members of Happy Mondays, The Smiths, Oasis and The Specials, and even actor/musician Matt Berry! He currently co-owns Interior Presents, and manages Heavenly Recordings signees, The Orielles.
Damian also works for BIMM Manchester, overseeing their liaison with the wider music industry, providing links to external music business & events professionals, sourcing career opportunities, internships and placements. He is also responsible for events strategy alongside the events coordinator, booking of masterclasses & guests, and BIMM Manchester’s program of Artist Development.
Performer Relations and Development Manager | WEBSITE
Kerry is Performer Relations and Development Manager at PPL. She set up the Performer Relations & Development team in 2010 in order to provide a high quality, proactive service to key performers and their representatives. The team’s role is to maximise their clients’ international and UK royalty collections, whilst delivering a best-in-class service to them. As well as being responsible for the strategic management of the team and their client relationships, another focus for Kerry’s team is her ongoing work with emerging artists to ensure they are registered with PPL and receive the money they are entitled to.
Business Development Manager | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Originally from Lincoln and now based in Nottingham, Simon has worked as a promoter, tour manager before moving into the ticketing industry 10 years ago. His current role as Business Development Manager involves working with new and existing clients on their ticketing package from pricing to marketing to onsite operations. His role also covers commercial relationships and product development that allows him to feedback from clients to the dev team to tailor the Gigantic platform to its users. Simon has recently completed work on their partnership with ethical ticket reseller Twickets, as well as currently launching their new iOS scanning app as well as lot of other additions coming in the coming months.Gigantic Tickets have been operating from Nottingham for over 10 years now. 2017 saw an increase of tickets sold by 38% compared to 2016. Gigantic work with a breadth of clients and venues including UK Live, Tramlines, Live Nation, Kilimanjaro, DHP Family, AEG Live as well as a host of independent festivals including Leopalloza, Indietracks, 110 Above, Chagstock, Southbeats, Shrewsbury Folk Festival and more.
Director of Enterprise and Regeneration | WEBSITE
Sian Tomos is currently Director of Enterprise and Regeneration for the Arts Council of Wales. It’s a portfolio that includes leading on Arts and Health, Arts and Regeneration, local government and the Creative Industries. Prior to this Sian was regional director for North Wales during which time she was instrumental in developing many ground breaking arts and health initiatives.
Sian has been a leading advocate and innovator of the Well-being of Future Generations Act in Wales which uses the sustainable development principle to promote better health and well-being across the population.
MARKETING MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Tobias is a Sync and Marketing Manager at Syncr Music, overseeing aspects of playlisting, partnerships, networking and research. With a background in music journalism, Tobias also manages blog and social media posts, keeping himself and others up to date with the advancements and changes within sync, the most profitable and exciting aspect of the music industry right now.
MARKETING MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Kayleigh is a Sync and Marketing Manager at SYNCR. She handles brand partnerships, account management and digital and social media marketing (follow @syncrmusic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!) She is a frequent contributor to The Line of Best Fit’s Discovery segment and is a managing editor of on-the-ball new music blog Born Music.
MARKETING MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Sam is a sync and marketing manager at SYNCR, but also has extensive music journalism experience, currently the managing editor at Born Music, she also has bylines in publications such as Dork, DIY and more. Her involvement in the music industry doesn’t stop there however, as she’s been promoting gigs under the name UNCOVER for just over a year now.
Ricky is the COO of SYNCR, but his efforts in the music and design industry doesn’t stop there. He also owns Born Communication, a digital design agency with a focus on their digital products and their effectiveness in the market. He also founded Born Music, one of the most submitted to new music blogs in the UK.
George has gained a vast array of experience within the music industry as a promoter, independent label owner and now as an agent. An electronic music connoisseur, George prides himself on an encyclopaedic knowledge across the genres. With a desire to build long lasting success for his clients through strong agent – manager relationships, attention to detail and innovation; he is fast establishing himself as a respected new agent.
CONCERT PROMOTER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Evan Dubinsky is a Canadian based concert promoter with a strong interest in cardigans and Pho. He started putting on concerts when myspace was huge and hasn’t slowed down since. He has organized and produced events in Los Angeles, Toronto and Montreal and has worked for various festivals and promotion companies before joining POP Montreal in 2015. He’s also music supervised several feature films which are often shown on airplanes. He has a really cute dog named Bear who people like way more than Evan.
MUSIC PROGRAMME MANAGER | WEBSITE
Tom began working in the music industry as a programmer for The Big Chill festival in the UK and India. He also established a dynamic year-round music programme for The Big Chill Group’s London venues. This was followed by contemporary music programming positions at the Barbican Centre in London and Warwick Arts Centre in the West Midlands.
Working with No-Nation, Tom developed and produced events for venues and organisations including Sydney Opera House, South Bank Centre, Royal Opera House, Brighton Festival and Music Beyond Mainstream. More recently, he has developed UK and international touring projects with Asian Dub Foundation, The Light Surgeons and CDR.
Tom joined the British Council’s music team in 2015 with responsibility for South Asia and Wider Europe.
CEO // MANAGER // CHAIRPERSON | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Magdalena Jensen, the co-founder of Chimes – an independent music agency, worked as a journalist for Polish Radio’s External Service for several years before stepping into the music industry as a band manager for Paula & Karol. She has since worked and consulted with BRODKA, Rebeka, Kamp! and more. Magdalena currently manages Ifi Ude. Additionally, she is the co-founder and chair of the newly-formed Music Managers Forum (MMF) Polska and among the founding members of the European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA).
Magdalena has organized the CJG European Music Fair for four years (responsible for international relations and the conference) and produced numerous conferences and events such as Niewidzialny Dizajn and Media Meets Literacy. Additionally, she served on the Advisory Board for the 2014 Bitspiration Festival, providing insight and support regarding the music industry.
Magdalena is a Polish-American living in Warsaw for 8 years, a graduate of European Studies and Political Science from the University of Vermont, followed by studies in International Relations at the University of Warsaw. Magdalena is a certified non-violent communication mediator.
BAND AND CAMPAIGNS MANAGER | EMAIL
I’m the owner and label manager at Libertino. Libertino has grown extensively over the past three years and now has a roster of over 15 artists who create and perform in both Welsh and the English language. Libertino is an all-encompassing home for our artists – booking agent/tour support, in house PR, artist management as well as creative support are all provided. I strongly believe that art should be inclusive and not exclusive creating a community from grass roots level. Libertino’s aim is to give artists a platform from which to fly and the knowledge of how to fly successfully.
Director – Culture | Québec Government Office in London | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Maude has been Director of the cultural service at the Québec Government Office in London since 2010. She is responsible for the formulation and implementation of market development strategies for the benefit of artists and the cultural industries from Québec in the UK, Ireland and Nordic countries.
With over twenty years’ experience in the cultural sector, Maude has worked across all areas of the industry, having been in turn a performer, novelist, playwright, agent, cultural administrator and company director producing shows in the UK. Her productions have been seen in the UK, Italy, the UAE and Québec.
Originally from Montréal, Maude has lived in London since 1996.
Saffron Records and a Director of Bristol Women in Music | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Laura Lewis-Paul is the Founder and Creative Director of Saffron Records and a Director of Bristol Women in Music.
With over 7 years in the Creative Industry, her music career has been specifically focused on gender equality within the music industry.
Launching Saffron Records in September 2015 as part of the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Scheme, Laura has been able to gain momentum and a strong reputation for her company through partnerships with PRSF as a Talent Development Partner and Red Bull.
The company has a strategy that particularly focuses on music technology for women, this is through their education program in schools and for 16-25 year olds, offering music production, DJing and Sound Engineering. At the core of Laura’ s career it has always been a passion and drive of her’s to work with young people creatively, the company therefore has a young team of apprentices and interns as part of their management team to support the artists with their development.
Saffron Records provides an alternative offer to other labels with it’s emphasis on giving young women a space to be creative. She has created a community within Bristol that shares the values that support young women throughout the industry.
Laura’s work with young people constantly inspires and challenges her. It enables her to continually question her beliefs and societal values, allowing for a progressive and positive mark on the industry.
ENGLISH FOLK EXPO | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Tom runs English Folk Expo, an annual showcase of English folk, roots and acoustic music to an audience of UK and international music industry. English Folk Expo takes place in central Manchester each October in association with the public Manchester Folk Festival.
ENTERTAINMENT RELATIONS MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Prior to his recent appointment at Believe Music as Entertainment Relations Manager for TuneCore UK, Nathan Barley Phillips formed Basick Records in 2005 and set about the task of developing a forward thinking record label for heavy music. Releasing early material from emerging UK bands such as Enter Shikari and Fellsilent, the BASICK label soon became synonymous with the cutting edge of heavy genres, going on to release music from Misery Signals, Bury Tomorrow, SikTh, Skyharbor, Devil Sold His Soul and Napoleon among many others. Now a fully-fledged international record label nominated three times in a row for a Metal Hammer Golden God Award, BASICK continues to be one of the forerunners in its field. On top of his day to day duties with TuneCore, Barley also holds a seat on the board at the Association Of Independent Music (AIM); a trade body organisation based in the UK that represents over 800 music companies, from some of the largest and most respected independent record labels in the world, to small start-ups and individual artists releasing their own music for the very first time.
CREATIVE PROGRAMME MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
As HMUK Creative Programme Manager, Lucy oversees a range of funds and support resources for professional musicians at all stages of their careers, and is passionate about providing opportunities for collaboration, innovation and sector change. Prior to HMUK Lucy has worked across the creative and cultural industries, including a six year stint at Arts Council England where she led on a number of national cultural education and audience engagement initiatives, and looked after an eclectic portfolio of music and learning-focused organisations for the London office.
HEAD OF MAJOR EVENTS, WELSH GOVERNMENT | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Gwilym has over 25 years’ experience of public policy development and delivery in the fields of the arts, culture and sport. He has been involved in the international major events industry since 2002, and was one of the main architects of Event Wales – Wales’ first major events strategy. Gwilym was also a key figure in the establishment of the Welsh Government’s Major Events Unit.
As Head of Major Events, Gwilym has the lead role in developing and delivering Welsh Government policy on major events including the implementation of Event Wales. He is responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of major events which supports economic growth, raises Wales’ international profile and reputation and enhances wellbeing. He has managed the Welsh Government’s investment in a number of high profile major international sporting events, including the UEFA Champions League Final (2017) and Volvo Ocean Race (2018), and a wide range of arts and cultural events, including: Focus Wales; Green Man festival; Hay Festival, Festival No 6 and WOMEX.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Una Johnston is the senior business development manager (UK & Ireland) for SXSW Conference and Festivals and is based in Ireland’s first ecovillage in Co Tipperary, Ireland. She has been working with SXSW for over 15 years and assists creative sector companies to position their brand at SXSW and to realise the potential of the tools that SXSW offers. Her background is in event management, programming and production.
SCIENCE MADE SIMPLE LTD | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Rachel has a background in science and has worked in the public engagement with STEM industry – in exhibition design, science centre management and science strategy – for over 25 years. She now works for Science Made Simple, an award-wining social enterprise committed to democratising science and to developing a scientifically literate workforce for the future. The company uses a vibrant combination of live science presentations, and a playful online presence to support its mission to removing barriers to accessing STEM learning. Much of Rachel’s work focusses on training academic and industrial scientists and engineers to build bridges between research and the public.
LABEL MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Based near London, Olivia is the Label Manager at Killing Moon Records, a record label, management company, live promoter, and music blog. Working with a roster of brilliant bands and artists including Fizzy Blood, Annabel Allum, Man Without Country and more, Olivia oversees their releases and development and is currently helping to launch Killing Moon’s new PR service. Olivia also finds time to write on the Killing Moon blog (mostly) every day, furthering Killing Moon’s status as a curatorial brand.
From playing in bands since he was a teen, to graduating university with a First Class Honours degree in Music Business specialising in Live Music, Neal naturally fell into the live agent role. Neal quickly rose through the ranks as an intern, agent assistant and junior agent. Having worked across small grassroots gigs to tours on the world stage, he has carved for himself an exciting career as a young, ambitious and driven agent at UK live agency, The Industry Group. Artists worked with include Heather Small, Lucy Spraggan, Ben Haenow, Rebecca Ferguson and Scott Matthews (UK). Neal also has experience as a promoter, and manages UK bands Weirds and Vulgarians.
VENUE AND LABEL MANAGER | EMAIL | WEBSITE
Having arranged gigs under the Welsh Language Board in Gwynedd Hefin moved on to run a pub and music venue, Ty Newydd Sarn, arranging over 200 performances. He then worked for Welsh Music Foundation, managing the Welsh Language sector. He co-runs the Sbrigyn Ymborth music label and continues to see as much live music as possible.
CO-FOUNDER BLOCKPOOL | EMAIL | WEBSITE
David Blundell is COO and co-founder member of Blockpool. Having spent the last 20 years in the IT industry in a strategic sales capacity, working closely with the likes of HP, Dell and Microsoft it was a smooth transition in to tech-start up, Blockpool. David also has spent a considerable time working with grassroots musical talent helping individuals achieve the next level. It was only when BLOCKPOOL emerged that the opportunity to combine these two passions came about to great affect using blockchain technology to affect massive change on a number of levels. The business has subsequently grown in to new and different verticals since inception.
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