Viva la Youth - Guest Biogs Jeff Thompson: co-founder, Un-Convention @unconvention Established in 2008, Un-Convention is a UK based global music network and development agency. The events and projects bring together artists and industry professionals to share knowledge and expertise. Through this Jeff has helped to develop a number of new and innovative approaches to building sustainable careers and alternative models for the music industries. His work includes a long-term music project working with young people in Manchester, the development of a number of music co-operatives in Africa, and a revolutionary new UK based touring model called Off Axis. He has also run a number of independent record labels in Manchester. Shell Zenner: new music’s hardest working champion @shellzenner If you want to find Shell Zenner, look for a dedicated fan in a vintage dress who is always chasing down the shivery thrill of new music and then telling people about it. That’s her life! A friendly face for touring bands. She can be found on Amazing Radio, on XS Manchester, flying the flag for BBC Introducing on BBC Radios Manchester and Leeds, and elsewhere on both local and national radio talking about a myriad of music related subjects such as vinyl sales, national album day, recordstore day and her fave new artists and records. She’s presented on BBC 6 Music sitting in for Tom Robinson and has featured on Radio X, Talk Radio and even reported live from her tent at Leeds Festival! You can find her on YouTube (Trashed TV, Show Stream UK and on her own channel), Djing for festivals such as Off The Record and Bluedot Festival, compering stages for MIF and Music:Leeds, interviewing artists like The Magic Gang and Dave Rowntree at Soundcity , judging talent and applications for PRS and appearing on and hosting panels at Industry events such as BBC Introducing Live. A seasoned producer for BBC Introducing, she’s an expert at curating playlists, booking artists and co-ordinating outside broadcasts - including two 2019 simulcasts, one that aired across 39 BBC Local stations from the BBC Introducing Live event and another from Leeds Festival that aired over five different BBC local stations. In addition, she teaches at Soundcity, Off The Record, Merseyrail Soundstation and previously lectured at BIMM. In her spare time (ha!), she puts on bands at a night called #Freevibes in Manchester in co-ordination with Band On The Wall. Ben Hall: Musician and artist @MrBenAndTheBens Born as a recording project in a barn in Lancashire in 2015, Ben Hall recorded and self released 7 albums under the guise of Mr Ben. Having recently signed to Bella Union and now a complete outfit Mr Ben & the Bens sound like they were baptised in water from the church of indie classics, the songs of the Lancaster Polymath echo Belle & Sebastian, Teleman, Gorkys Zygotic Mynci and a bit of Bill Ryder-Jones his genuinely great modern songwriting. Stewart Parsons: Originator and manager of Get It Loud In Libraries @LoudinLibraries | @LibraryFiend Stewart Parsons has worked in public libraries for 33 years: on the front line as a library assistant; as a music librarian; a Cultural Youth Offer project manager; and now as Creative Director of the Community Interest Company and new Arts Council England NPO Loud In Libraries CIC. Passionately committed to connecting young people to public libraries for music, personal and career development, learning and social integration, he has staged over 400 live music gigs in libraries across the UK. Determined to support libraries to spearhead popular culture, Stewart has introduced household names like Adele, Clean Bandit, Ellie Goulding and The Vaccines to young audiences in libraries at the outset of their careers. The Get It Loud in Libraries programme has now introduced nearly 35,000 new users to libraries across the UK. In 2017 Stewart partnered with Kids In Museums to deliver a short and successful programme in Welsh Museums that shaped the original GILIL model against the museum landscape to generate new young audiences. Other projects Stewart has launched included the award winning Bag For Lit (a library paper recycling programme) and The Crib, a digital space for young people in libraries in the North Of England. Miriam Randall: Chief Executive Officer, Brewery Arts Centre @BACKendal Miriam Randall is the Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director of the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal. Past roles include Executive Director at Watershed, Bristol’s film, culture and digital media centre and Executive Director of international arts agency Lighthouse. Stew Baxter: Musician and producer Stewart has been involved in music for over 20 years cutting his teeth playing in various bands within the British underground scene. This gave him a great understanding of producing and releasing music alongside extensive touring and merchandising. Stewart also plays drums for the BBC 6 Music Play-listed band LIFE, who have been Hull’s greatest recent export racking up huge press and radio plays alongside their debut album Popular Music and touring constantly with bands such as SLAVES, Nadine Shah, IDLES and more. Andy Porter: Licensing Executive, Social Chain Media @SCMedia Andy works for Social Chain, the world's most engaged social media publishing house. Social Chain operates a range of global social media brands, including Music Life, a music publisher with over 4 million engaged fans. Andy looks after Social Chain's licensing needs, which involves working with musicians and content creators across their world in order to promote their work to audiences across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok all over the world. Viva la Youth - Guest Biogs Courtney Askew Conti: Artist Relations at Warner Music Group @CourtneyAC With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, East West, Elektra, Fueled By Ramen, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word, as well as Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. Holly Ross: musician @TheLovelyEggs Holly Ross is singer and guitarist in the alternative psychedelic punk duo The Lovely Eggs. Their latest album "I am Moron" bears the fruit of their second collaboration with Grammy award winning producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Mogwai, MGMT, Tame Impala) at his studio in upstate New York. Upon its release “I am Moron” went straight to Number One in the UK Independent Album Charts. It also took the Number One spot in the UK vinyl charts as well as the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart. “I am Moron” was declared “Album of the Day” by BBC 6 Music and received critical acclaim from the national press. The Lovely Eggs are wilfully independent. With NINE BBC 6 music sessions under their belt, as well as sessions for Radio One and Radio X, they have enjoyed huge support from UK radio. And they continue to sell out gigs across the UK without the help of management, booking agent or record label support. Claire Windsor: Sound Engineer Company. Claire was a professional musician and live sound engineer for eight years before she graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. BA (Hons) Sound Technology. Claire then joined the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester for 6 years before moving to her current role in Stratford-upon-Avon. Sound design credits: The Whip, the Taming of the Shrew, Tamburlaine, The Duchess of Malfi, The Rape of Lucrece, Doctor Faustus, Snow in Midsummer, Dido, Queen of Carthage, Love for Love, The Jew of Malta (RSC) Happy Days, Powdermonkey, You Do It All Again, 0.0008, Three Sisters, Jonah and Otto, London Assurance, PUB, Mojo Mickeybo, Palace of the End, Flags (Royal Exchange). Our Lady of Kibeho (Royal and Derngate, Northampton/Stratford East). Fantastic Mr Fox (Southampton Nuffield/Lyric Hammersmith/Leicester Curve). Company Along the Mile (West Yorkshire Playhouse) Sarah Fisher: percussionist and pianist @minifish1210 Sarah Fisher is a percussionist and pianist based in Gateshead, North East England. In 2015 she graduated with a First Class honours degree in Community Music from Sunderland University, where she studied at Sage Gateashead, as well as receiving the Ede and Ravenscroft prize. In 2019, Viva la Youth - Guest Biogs Sarah Fisher: percussionist and pianist @minifish1210 Sarah Fisher is a percussionist and pianist based in Gateshead, North East England. In 2015 she graduated with a First Class honours degree in Community Music from Sunderland University, where she studied at Sage Gateashead, as well as receiving the Ede and Ravenscroft prize. In 2019, Sarah graduated from York St John University with a Masters in Community Music with distinction. Sarah has Cerebral Palsy and a hyperkinetic movement disorder which affects her left side and speech. Sarah now works as a music facilitator in a number of settings, teaching people of all ages and abilities. Including; Sage Gateshead's Community Music Spark Programme where she worked with young people with additional needs. Boomdang @boomdang Boom Dang is famous for their high energy performances and complex rhythms. Performing with BIG drums, tuned percussion and choreography, they play their own mix of Drum + Bass, Bhangra, Hip-Hop, Latin, Drumline, Merengue, Afro-Beat and Moroccan Trance. They WOW audiences where-ever they go with their heady mix of live beats, towering drums and giant drum kits. .