Thursday 6 November
Huw Stephens
TV credits includes presenting Glastonbury Festival, Young Jazz Musician of the Year, The Story of Welsh Art & Wales Music Nation. He showcases new music on Radios 6, Cymru and Wales. Co-founding Swn Festival and the Welsh Music Prize, his music documentary Anorac won 4 Bafta Cymru Awards.
Úna Monaghan
Harper, composer, engineer & sound artist, collaborating with poets, visual artists, computers & more. Her two albums include Aonaracht for traditional musicians & electronics. She performs solo, in contemporary ensemble Stone Drawn Circles & lectures in Sound & Music at Queen’s University Belfast.
Tomos Williams
Internationally known Jazz trumpeter Tomos leads jazz sextet ‘Burum’ (meaning ‘yeast’ in Welsh) combining Welsh folk with jazz and has established the ‘Cwmwl Tystion’ (cloud of witnesses) project, exploring issues relating to Welsh identity, history and culture through music and live visuals. Tomos is Chair of Jazz Explorers Cymru, a new body to promote and encourage Welsh jazz in and outside of Wales.
Norman Willmore
A musician born on a kitchen floor in the Shetland Islands, Norman has developed his own sound -melding saxophone, keyboards and production drawing on his fascination with the sound and structures of folk music from Shetland and related cultures. The duo with drummer Corrie Dick developed from a residency in Shetland where they spent time learning from tradition-bearers and exploring music archives.
Julia Payne
Director of the hub with 20+years in promoting, marketing & fundraising for ‘beyond mainstream’ music. During the pandemic, Julia developed the Balance programme which supported 1000+ creative freelancers to care of their minds and their businesses
Joe Hastings
CEO of Music Support, a charity dedicated to helping those who work in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction. The organisation champions early intervention and recovery through its helpline, training, and lived-experience workshops that build healthier working cultures across the industry.Joe is passionate about creating lasting change for people behind the scenes as well as on stage.
Grace Pitkin
Programming & Talent Development at Serious, producing EFG London Jazz Festival now going into its 33rd year Grace is also responsible for the Take Five Talent Development programme which has supported many key jazz artists.
Heather Spencer
Works as Festival Producer at Manchester Jazz Festival (mjf) and as Programme Manager at Jazz North where she delivers its artist development programme, Northern Line. Prior to this, she worked in jazz as a promoter, producer and project manager across the north of England.
Chris Newstead
Founder, Watford Jazz Junction festival, now in its 5th year, promoting inclusion, quality & wellbeing through live music; 20 years in philanthropy & government, including 15 at the Wellcome Trust. He also works with Orphy Robinson on ‘Jazz Train’ & ‘Soul Bus’ primary school workshops.
Jill Rodger
Joined Glasgow International Jazz Festival as Administrator in 1990, was promoted to General Manager in 1998, Festival Director in 2005 and has now been involved with the event for over 35 years – Glasgow’s longest running music festival.
Ben Price
Grants & Programmes Manager, PRSF’s Early Career Promoter Fund; runs Harbourside Arts focusing on improving representation of artists with disabilities in music; trustee Attitude is Everything.
Mary Allen
Operations & Festival Administrator, Manchester Jazz Festival, Mary oversees artists logistics and the festival’s environmental sustainability. She also works as a freelance access manager for other live events including Kendal Calling.
Martha Cleary
runs music PR & artist management company Glow Artists, working with signed & independent artists across promo, campaigns, timeline management, network expansion, industry advice & support; part of Music Managers Forum 2024 Accelerator Programme. (36)
Dave Stapleton
British pianist, composer, and producer, and the founder of Edition Records, one of the UK’s leading independent labels.A graduate of the RWCMD he has built Edition into a globally respected platform representing artists from both sides of the Atlantic., Stapleton is an active musician and the creative force behind Slowly Rolling Camera.
Joe Paice
Agent at Music Works International, Boston-based music agency representing Branford Marsalis, Youssou N’Dour, Dianne Reeves, Ambrose Akinmusire, Nduduzo Makhathini, Stacey Kent and more; recently programme manager at PizzaExpress Live, booking shows across five venues in London, the South East & Birmingham.
Fiona Alexander
Has produced Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival since 2020, previously working there & for Jazz Scotland who produce the Dundee, Aberdeen and Islay Jazz Festivals.
Lao Psimikakis Chalkokondylis
Head of Programmes, Sound & Music, overseeing programme delivery, access & AI policy; particular interest in music’s & musicians’ AI opportunities & challenges.
Kenneth Killeen
CEO Improvised Music Company, Ireland’s leading jazz/ethnic music promoter & resource for jazz musicians; Artistic Director, 12 Points, IMC’s European festival of emerging music.
Paul Mortimer
Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager at The Ivors Academy, the leading organisation for songwriters and composers. At The Ivors Academy he has led campaigns on the introduction of per diems for songwriters, fair commissioning practices for media composers and The Ivors Academy’s response to the independent review of Arts Council England.
Fri 7 Nov
Deborah Keyser
Director of the Welsh music support organisation, Tŷ Cerdd / Music Centre Wales since 2016: If you’re making music in Wales, it’s Welsh music! Previously at Creu Cymru, working with theatres, performers & audiences and before that at BBC’s Radio 3 & Music Magazine.
Lucy Scott
Senior Producer, Contemporary & Artist Development at The Glasshouse, Gateshead, she leads a dynamic programme, including residencies, artist showcases and events to support emerging talent providing performance opportunities to under-represented artists.
Dionne Bennett
Award-winning artist, educator, and activist, gaining the 2024 Black History Cymru 365 award for her contributions to race equality. As Director of Tân Cerdd, Dionne is a dynamic force in promoting Black Welsh culture. Part of the programming team for Brecon Jazz Festival 2025 she introduced several key black UK jazz artists to the event.
Mica Sefia
Singer / songwriter originally from Liverpool and a Leeds Conservatoire alumna, now at Black Lives in Music as Project Lead. Mica uses her music industry experience to educate others and create opportunities for those who may not always be considered. Her work focuses on working towards having policies in place to ensure everybody can have an enjoyable experience no matter what environment they come from.
Ellen Beth Abdi
Wonky, soul-infused pop with live loops, pokey drums & subversive lyrics, a rising force in Manchester, who’s supported The Stone Roses, performed with New Order and A Certain Ratio. Debut album in 2025 via her own label, Sweet Twenty-Three Records.
Nick Brown
With over a decade of experience in the music industry Nick Brown has worked with ECN Music, Cheltenham Festivals, UK Jazz News,and also serves as the UK/Ireland Ambassador for jazzahead! where he helps promote and celebrate jazz on the international stage. Nick’s work revolves around empowering communities through designing and delivering school-based programmes, managing large-scale projects, and providing artists with the tools to bring their musical aspirations to life.
Nicholas Gebhardt
Professor of Jazz & Popular Music Studies; Director of Research (Media), Birmingham City University, Nick has led a number of research projects into different aspects of the jazz sector in the UK as well as hosting the 2023 JPN Conference.
Lee Griffiths
Saxophonist, jazz promoter & doctoral researcher, Birmingham City University, Lee is working on the joint JPN/BCU research project into the future role of the network and its governance.