FULLY BOOKED

Wednesday 8 March  |  12pm - 2pm | In person
Performance 2, Metronome

Davina Merchant & Emma Stakes

Manager & A&R Consultant

This double headliner event is bound to be an Industry Week highlight: a pair of A&R experts with advice for days, this session will cover the role of A&R, and how you as an artist can stack the odds in your favour to get signed.

About

Davina Merchant

Starting her career as an enthusiastic entertainment journalist, Davina was passionate about breaking more stories to champion those behind the music. Her exceptional ambition meant that pursuing a career in the music industry allowed her to facilitate her passion, and to build a thriving career in the music industry.

Kickstarting her career in management, Davina went on to work in label services before joining Downtown Music publishing’s London Office at the top of 2018. She has gone on to earn an impressive reputation as a forward thinking exec with signings that include  Tiana Major 9, Mae Muller, Tion Wayne, Hamzaa, ,Giggs, Juls, Jaz Karis, Juls to name a few.

Emma Stakes

With a distinguished career spanning both the creative and business aspects of the music industry, Emma has established herself as a leading force in the field. Starting as an accomplished artist and published songwriter, she transitioned to the business side, leveraging her exceptional ability to discover and nurture talent.

Among her many achievements, she has held prestigious positions such as Music Publisher with Kobalt, managing and marketing a roster of renowned singers and influencers, serving as A&R at Syco Entertainment and Sony, heading up on-screen talent for hit TV shows such as The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, and America’s Got Talent, and serving as an A&R Consultant for Universal Music U.K. and Germany.

Currently, Emma is at the helm of Reimagine Records, collaborating closely with industry leaders such as Tileyard Music, TYN, Hipgnosis Songs Fund, and PRS Foundation. She also contributes to the industry by serving as a panelist and mentor for BBC Introducing Live.

Interviewier Lou Barnell

Lou is an award-winning sound and performance artist and radio DJ. She is one of Sound and Music’s New Voices 2022 Composers.
She was winner of the 2021 Oram Awards, supported by The PRS Foundation and BBC Radiophonic Institute in recognition of innovation in sound and technology.

Lou’s work gives language to her alienating and disorientating experiences of being a neurodivergent woman. It communicates her synaesthetic experience of sound, hyperfocus and sensory overload.

Lou’s latest work is a brutalist hypnotic soup of electronics, visceral sonic textures, improvised voice, materials and physicality. The double A Side from the forthcoming album ‘Du Pain Du Vin, Du Rizatriptan was released on Pearl Home Records in 2023. It featured on NTS Radio with Silvia KastelBBC Merseyside’s Popular Music Show and Resonance FM with Dexter Bentley

International Women’s Day

We’re proud to be supporting International Women’s Day by hosting a number of talks on Wednesday 8 March, celebrating the work of women in the creative industries.

Important: Sign-ups are only valid with your Confetti or NTU email. Compulsory group students do not need to book.

COMPULSORY GROUPS: FS22-1, FS22-3, DS21-2, QS22-5, L221 to attend in person

This session will take place in Performance 2, Metronome. Check ticket availability.