29 February 2024
Newsdesk
The Great Escape is delighted to announce the content themes and first guest speakers for its newly revamped conference, including Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES), Sacha Lord (NTIA) and the ‘They Think It’s All Sober’ podcast. The UK-leading event will return to Brighton this year from Wednesday 15 May to Saturday 18 May 2024.
Lauren Mayberry, lead singer of the Scottish band CHVRCHES, is the first guest speaker to be announced this year. Lauren is an activist and singer-songwriter who has several top 10 albums under her belt with CHVRCHES. Having now launched two singles as part of her first ever solo venture, she will be heading to the Great Escape conference to discuss details of the "fun, freaky, sad, weird, joyful pop playground" she's creating as a solo artist.
Sacha Lord is the Chair of the NTIA, co-creator of Parklife Festival and the Warehouse Project and Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester. Highlighting the importance of the UK’s fifth biggest industry, he will be interviewed live on stage to address the unique concerns of the night time economy. The talk will come shortly after the publication of his new book “Tales of the Dancefloor”, a love letter to the city and dance floors of Manchester.
The They Think It’s All Sober podcast will record a live episode with creators Jamie Osman and Tom Hollings in conversation with a high-profile guest, discussing their journey of sobriety and what helped them along the way. Previous podcast guests include Matt Willis (Busted) and RØRY among many others.
More speakers and the first keynote sessions will be announced next month.
This year the all-new The Great Escape conference is going direct to the music industry’s top leaders and experts to create a reinvigorated vision for its programming. Going in-depth on all the specialist areas for a modern music professional, The Council of Music Makers, The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), BBC Introducing and Youth Music are each curating a day, bringing in the best experts and thought leaders from their networks across the industry to ensure the iconic conference covers more knowledge areas in greater depth than ever before.
On Thursday 16th May, the Council of Music Makers, the umbrella organisation representing the Ivors Academy, FAC, MMF, MPG and the MU, will cover key areas for anyone working in the business of music creation. This will include: streaming remuneration, the challenges of getting credited and paid for music, touring sustainability and how artists can build and manage a team.
On Friday 17th May, The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) will provide a deep dive into the night time economy and current the state of play for venues and live entertainment, with sessions including: ‘Global Perspectives and Approaches to Night Time Economy and Culture’, ‘Creating Safe Queer Spaces: The Importance of Inclusive Safeguarding’, and ‘The Empowerment of Youth and the Crisis of Political Faith’.
On Saturday 18th May, BBC Introducing and Youth Music will focus on professional development for the next generation of emerging artists and entrepreneurs, covering: how to secure funding, management and being manager-ready, small budget marketing for artists, and the ins & outs of the BBC Introducing platform.
Saturday will also feature partner panels hosted by AudioActive, an organisation creating social change through music, and educational event platform THEFUTUREIS.
For those that are new to the industry, The Great Escape has launched a brand-new, affordably priced Saturday Conference Only ticket for just £35, plus a Saturday Conference & Festival Combo ticket for £75.
