YNOT festival news : February Pre-Payment

Hastings Unconvention
A One-Day Grassroots Music Conference
Presented by Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival in association with Unconvention.
Date: 13 February 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: White Rock Theatre Studio
Website: hastingsfattuesday.co.uk
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Holding the Line: The Future of Grassroots Music Venues
Grassroots venues are the beating heart of the UK’s music ecosystem, but many are under unprecedented pressure. This panel brings together leading voices from across the sector to explore the real challenges facing venues today and the strategies that can secure their long-term sustainability. Join us for a candid conversation about policy, funding, community impact, and what it truly takes to keep stages alive.
* Chair: Jeff Thompson (Founder, Unconvention)
* Panelists:
* Toni Coe-Brooker (Campaign & Communications, Music Venue Trust)
* Jon Collins (Chief Executive, LIVE)
* Claire Mera-Nelson (Director, Music, Arts Council England)
* Craig Pennington (Chief Executive & Co-Founder, Future Yard CIC)
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM | Local Loud: How Regional Scenes Thrive
Thriving music scenes are built through many hands; promoters, record labels, venue operators and cultural organisations, working together. This panel brings together voices shaping regional music ecosystems from the ground up to explore what’s driving momentum across the UK’s towns and cities, and how collaboration, identity and local infrastructure can help scenes truly flourish.
* Chair: John Robb (Journalist)
* Panelists:
* Geraldine Zanaska (Compass Music)
* Adrian Cooke (Sound and Vision / Arts Council England Music RM)
* Tony Bartholomew (Goo Records / Dirty Management)
* Sophia Stutchbury (Folkestone Music Town)
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Lifers: Creativity, Career and Survival in Modern Music
What does a sustainable creative life look like now? This panel gathers artists to discuss the realities of long-term careers in an industry defined by rapid change. They explore the emotional and practical challenges of maintaining momentum, redefining success, and staying true to your artistic vision while adapting to new pressures.
* Chair: David Quantick (Journalist & Author)
* Panelists:
* Miki Berenyi (Lush / Piroshka / Miki Berenyi Trio)
* Romeo Stodart (The Magic Numbers)
* Ren Harvieu
* Stuart Belsham (PRS for Music)
3:00 PM | Saffron (Republica) In Conversation with James Endeacott
3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Networking
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