OUTPUT x AVA CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Output Belfast X AVA Conference

Conference Schedule:

10.00 – 11.00

Opening Keynotes

‘Economics Of Music Streaming – The Story So Far’
Chris Cooke Founder & Managing Director, CMU

CMU’s Chris Cooke provides a speedy update on the ongoing economics of streaming debate, including a review of the government-led work that was instigated in response to the UK Parliament’s inquiry into how the digital music business operates. He’ll also run through 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.

‘How You Can Be A Culture Changer’
Linda Coogan Byrne (DEI & Culture Change Expert | Leader of Why Not Her? Movement)

This keynote will delve into our individual and collective power to become culture changers. Linda and the dedicated members of Why Not Her? envisage a world where everyone is treated equally and nobody is left out of the picture. To date they’ve helped shift cultural dials in a monumental way through Gender Equality and Racial Disparity Data Reports and Campaigns which have instigated positive structural and cultural change in the music and broadcasting industries. In this talk, Linda will provide knowledge that empowers delegates to make a positive impact in their own lives, industries and communities.

PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED.

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11.30 – 12.30

Breaking Tradition – New Adventures in Trad Music in Ireland (Traditional Music)
Jo Wright (Music and Traditional Arts Development Officer, ACNI)
Danielle Carragher (Artist, Dani Larkin)
Clare Sands (Artist)
Brìghde Chaimbeul (Artist)
Rónán Ó Snodaigh (Artist, Kila)

Irish Traditional and Folk artists discuss breaking through barriers, driving ambition, international showcasing and career longevity – featuring artists who are breaking the mould, showcasing at SXSW and blazing the trail for the next generation.

RA Roundtable: “Reimagining Nightlife” Policy, Community and the Creative Night Time Economy
Chloe Lula (Resident Advisor)
Boyd Sleator, Free The Night (Northern Ireland)
Ciara Power, Queen’s University Belfast (Ireland)
Robbie Kitt, Give Us The Night (Ireland)
Gunnar Geßner, Hanover Night Council (Germany)

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

Legal 101: Top 10 Most Frequently Misunderstood Legal Terms in Music
Jonathan Tait (Rights Manager, STV)

AVA – Emerging Talent – Live Feedback Rounds (Producer + Visual Artist)
Timmy Stewart (Label Owner, Extended Play), Kev Freeney (Visual Artist)
AVA Festival’s Emerging Talent programme returns for its 2023 iteration: offering the chance for one individual in each category of DJ, Producer & Visual Artist to have their work showcased. The culmination of the Producer category includes a live masterclass for participants from Belfast music industry veteran Timmy Stewart and leading Irish visual artist Kev Freeney. AVA has always been passionate about showcasing the wealth of local and international talent and this programme has proved to provide a huge step forward for the next generation of creatives.

Screen Composers Guild of Ireland presents – Scoring Brendan Fraser – Inside the composed and supervised music for “Professionals.”
Dina Coughlan (Music Supervisor/Co-Founder, Planet of Sound)
Kormac (Artist / ‘Professionals’ Composer)
Rory McPartland (Music Supervisor/Co-Founder, Planet of Sound)

The Rise and Fall of BalconyTV
Mark Graham (Podcast Presenter: ‘The Untold Story of BalconyTV’)
Stephen O’Regan (BalconyTV Founder)
Joanne Collins (Producer of BalconyTV Cork)
Stephen McGrath (Artist: Crow Black Chicken)
Based on the Irish podcast hit 2023 three-part documentary ‘The Untold Story of BalconyTV,’ a deep dive into the fascinating rise and fall of the global live concert music platform founded in Dublin.

CMU Presents: The Economics of Streaming – Where Next?
Chris Cooke Founder & Managing Director, CMU
Jenny Goodwin (Policy Officer, IVORS Academy)
Naomi Pohl (General Secretary, Musicians’ Union)
David Martin (CEO, FAC)

Following on from his speed briefing on the economics of streaming debate, CMU’s Chris Cooke carries on the conversation with representatives from three organisations that form part of the Council Of Music Makers. With the UK government recently promising “meaningful and lasting improvements” to ensure that the digital music business truly works for both music-makers and the music industry, what progress has been made so far and what still needs to be done? Come find out.

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12.40 – 13.20

Self-Releasing Classical Music as a Composer or Performer
Matthew Whiteside (Composer, Author and CEO / Artistic Director of The Night With…)
Join the author of ‘Self-Release Guide Book for Composers & Musicians’ to hear tips and tricks for self-releasing in the Classical sector, from setting realistic budgets to running recording sessions and getting your music on major streaming platforms.

BBC ATL Introducing: Dance Music – How to get started and how to break through
Gemma Bradley (BBC Radio 1 Presenter & Artist)
Sarah McBriar (Founder of AVA Music & Arts Festival)
Caoimhe Moreland (Academy-Winning DJ)
Sally C (DJ)
+ More TBC

Your press release sucks! How to write a press release that works
Brian Coney (Editor, The Thin Air)
Niall Byrne (Founder, Nialler9)
Plus more to be announced.

Music journalists talk us through the art of writing a press release, from what to include to who you should approach and how best to approach them.

Kind of Blue – Placing Northern Ireland bands in BBC 1’s series Blue Lights
Catherine Grimes (Music Supervisor, ‘Blue Lights’)
Louise Gallagher (Producer, ‘Blue Lights’)
Simon Pursehouse (Sentric Music)

Get in the Vans – How Vans work with emerging talent in Music
Tony Arthy (Vans)
Benjamin McGee (Artist manager: Lemonade Shoelace, Chalk, Joshua Burnside)

Go Fund Me – Opportunities for Funding for Artists and Music Businesses
Ciaran Scullion (ACNI)
Westley Holdsworth (PRS Foundation)
Hannah Gibson (HMNI)

An insight to some of the most beneficial funding opportunities available to musicians, creatives and music businesses – including current and upcoming schemes by the Arts Council, PRS Foundation and Help Musicians.

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13.30 – 14.30

AIM Ireland Presents: Top Tips for Self-Releasing on a Budget
Gill Dooley (CEO, AIM Ireland)
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)

Indie Label experts indulge in a deep dive into all the ways emerging and established artists can release music, market their music, record albums, gig and more… all on a shoestring budget.

The Art Of Event Curation
Dylan Murphy (District Magazine)
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 – AVA assembles four promoters working across different areas of the industry to talk about what makes a great festival tick. The best curation is the sum of its parts and a little bit of festival magic. Hosted by Dylan Murphy of District Magazine.

Marshall Law: Inside the Marshall playbook for management, music and touring
Steph Carter (Head of Education, Marshall)
Megan Devereux (Education Coordinator, Marshall)
Hannah Richardson (Artist, CHERYM)

Ivors Academy presents – Composing for Feature Documentaries
Nainita Desai (Award-Winning Composer)
Hear from the composer of Oscar-nominated and BAFTA and Cannes-winning feature documentaries, Nainita Desai, on the nature of working with delicate subject matters and creating scores that honour the rawness of feature documentaries.

Music Minds Matter present – ‘I get knocked down’ Q and A with Dunstan Bruce (Chumbawamba)
Sophie Robinson (Director, ‘I Get Knocked Down’)
Dunstan Bruce of Chumbawamba joins director Sophie Robinson to discuss the creation and reception of their 2023 feature documentary ‘I Get Knocked Down,’ based on the rise of the band Chumba and their epoch-defining anthem “I Get Knocked Down”.

Sing When You’re Winning – Top Tips to Sing Harder, Better, Faster and Longer
Dave Jackson (Singer/The Voice Contestant)

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14.45 – 15.45

How do you manage THAT? Pitching new music to established artist managers
Bekah Molony (Artist Manager: Celaviedmai, Negro Impacto)
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)

RA Exchange Live
In partnership with Resident Advisor, the RA Exchange Live returns with an in-depth interview with an Electronic Artist – Speaker TBC

Women’s Work Presents – Artist Development Opportunities in 2023
Charlene Hegarty (Talent Development Manager, Oh Yeah Music Centre)
Gill Dooley (AIM Ireland)
Lea Heart (Artist)
Priscilla Kotey (Warner Ireland)

Plus more speakers are to be announced.

Resident Advisor Broadcast Journalism Workshop
Host: Chloe Lula (Senior Producer, Resident Advisor)

Are you interested in podcasting and multimedia journalism? Sign up for a hands-on two-hour workshop with Resident Advisor’s Senior Producer, Chloe Lula, to learn 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. Participants will come equipped with a topic they would like to explore in an audio format; by the end of the workshop, they should have an understanding of how to put this idea together and out into the world as a podcast or radio show. Please note, this is a limited-capacity session.

Stop, Collaborate and Listen – Developing a Career as a Producer/Co-writer

Rocky O’Reilly (Founder of Start Together Studios
Elise Mollé (Recording & Mixing Engineer)
Stuart Fleming (Head of Membership Development Scotland & Northern Ireland, PRS)

How to get started in producing and co-writing music.

From Bedroom Beats to Timbaland Tunes – Making Cuts for Global Hip-Hop Tunes
Pamela McCormick (Director, UD Music)
WhipitConall (Artist)
Dylan Murphy (Head of Content, District Magazine, Manager: WhipItConall)

Pathways Into Music
Chris Cooke Founder & Managing Director, CMU
Phil Nelson (Music Lecturer, BIMM Institute)
CMU’s Pathways Into Music Foundation has been mapping music careers and music education, seeking to build bridges between everyone involved in educating and supporting new music talent, while also identifying the skills, knowledge and tools early-career music makers need to succeed. The Foundation’s directors Phil Nelson and Chris Cooke will update you on all that work and the very latest developments, as well as presenting five key findings and five key priorities for how the music industry and music education can better support anyone pursuing their own pathway into music, whether as a frontline artist, portfolio musician, industry executive or music entrepreneur.

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16.00 – 17.00

Closing Panel: To Be Announced