Improvised Music Company and Music Town Present: Music Futures

14:30 – 17:30 Friday 17 April //Smock Alley Theatre //Free but ticketed // Entertainment.ie

"It is better to talk about a creative or cultural ecology rather than a cultural economy."
– Robert Palmer

A discussion about Music, Audiences and Spaces within our capital, hosted by Jim Carroll with contributions from key influencer, makers and shakers within the Irish music scene.Coinciding with 12 Points festival, Music Futures takes place on Friday, April 17th from 2.30pm at Smock Alley Theatre. Music Futures is a meeting of musical minds, and poses the question 'What does it mean to be a Musuc Town?'. How can cultural, corporate, city and communuty bodies work together to generate and sustain work for Irish artists, create new work through shared cultural initiatives and, ultimately, unite and grow audiences? These questions will be put to curated panels comprising of musicians, cultural and community groups and media representitives to get perspective and insight from across the sector.

PANEL 1: FUTURE AUDIENCES

Laurence Mackin is the Arts Editor of The Irish Times. He is a member of the Science Gallery’s Leonardo group and was previously the editor of the Warsaw Business Journal in Poland.

Trevor O'Shea heads up Bodytonic’s extensive portfolio of festivals and venues including the annual Beatyard Festival, Life Festival and the Dublin City Block Party.

Aisling O'Gorman is the Music Programmer at The Ark, Irelands only Cultural centre for children.

Áine Mangaoang is a Musicologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Dublin City University currently leading a research project entitled "Mapping Popular Music in Dublin."

PANEL 2: FUTURE COLLABORATIONS

Tony Sheehan is Artistic Director of Triskel, Cork, where he has led the transformation of the organisation from a small arts centre to a major Cultural Hub, incorporating Christchurch, which was annexed to Triskel in 2011 after its restoration by Cork City Council.

Acclaimed filmmaker and former Juno Falls front man, Myles O'Reilly has been creating unique music documentaries of major artists through his Arbutus Yarns website and he has a unique perspective on music making in Ireland today.

Laura G. Dovn is Managing Director of BLOCK T, an independent creative arts organisation, an entrepreneurial hub and a one-stop-shop for all things creative. The organisational model aims to be self-sustaining, providing subsidised support for our community of creatives while generating jobs in the cultural sector.

Niamh Bushnell is a serial entrepreneur and the first Dublin Commissioner for Start-ups. Drawing from her extensive experience in the start-up sector, Niamh assumes strategic responsibility for making Dublin the best place in Europe to start and grow tech and innovative business.

PANEL 3: FUTURE SPACES

Shane Latimer is a guitarist, composer and teacher based in Dublin. He plays six, seven and eight string guitars and improvises on the instruments using various preparations and electronic processing. He is also a founding member of the Bottlenote Collective and 12 Rutland Place.

Mark Murphy founded the much respected Choice Cuts in 2001. Having recently located to the Sugar Club, Mark brings his venue experience to the table to discuss how having a dedicated space has helped shape their brand.

Ciara Scanlanis founder of MART, a not-for-profit arts organisation that provides studios, galleries and event spaces to foster and promote artistic endeavors. She is also a visual artist working primarily in video, performance and web-based media. As an artist and protagonist, she feels it is her role is to upset the status quo.

Dave Smith is the founder of Micromedia, Mabos Lounge, Kings Of Concrete & SupYo! Dave Smith is a cultural entrepreneur and advocate for urban engagement for artistic purposes.