FestTalks: Candace Newman and Diversify-ing the Music Industry
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Charlotte Ege, FestForums |
A leading figure and champion for underrepresented voices in the music industry, Candace Newman sat down with FestForums this week to discuss her experience and foray into the festival space. Newman is the CEO and Founder of Live Out L!ve, a booking and touring agency geared towards creating platforms in live entertainment for diverse artists, particularly women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ artists. Newman’s core values lie in community, diversity and equity, and creating opportunities for diverse talent, and she has promoted these values through Live Out L!ve and as a self-described “solopreneur” on her various individual projects.
Newman is set to speak at FestForums 2025, discussing her experience with The Cousinz Festival at our panel, “How’d it go? Adventures of a First-Year Festival”. Taking place on August 31st, 2024 in Norfolk, Virginia, The Cousinz Festival is backed by Pusha T and evolved from the RnB Block Party hosted by Virginia-based rapper Fam-Lay and his business partner Antonio Dowe.
In this interview, Newman discusses her experience with Live Out L!ve and The Cousinz Festival.
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5 Reasons to Attend FestForums in 2025!
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We gave you 5 good reasons to come to FestForums! And then there's a lot more.....
Meet hundreds of festivals in one beautiful location and learn, network and socialize together! In 2025, speakers include leaders from SXSW, Essence Fest, Isle of Wight, Lincoln Center, Coachella, Sundance, South East Film Festival, Coronado Film Festival, Lollapalooza, Tribeca Film, Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Coachella, Innings Festival, New York Food & Wine, SXSW, All Things Go, San Diego Food & Wine, Roots Picnic, Monterey Jazz Festival, Burning Man + more. Keynotes include Matthew Modine and Sophie B Hawkins and an award to festival legend John Giddings presented by Arthur Fogel.
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Sophie B. Hawkins is Coming to FestForums
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Since the start of her musical journey, Sophie B. Hawkins has shown an uncompromising devotion to her singular truth, endlessly transcending boundaries and offering up new ways of experiencing the world around us. Her ever-evolving career has included releasing six widely beloved albums, breaking chart records with her smash hit “As I Lay Me Down,” four worldwide singles from Whaler, songs in cultural touchstone TV shows and films (from recent hits Stranger Things, Euphoria, Ozark, and PEN15, to landmark series Beverly Hills, 90210, Dawson’s Creek, The L Word and more), and a starring role as Janis Joplin in the critically acclaimed musical Room105.
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Register for the 8th Annual FestForums
February 12-14, 2025
Santa Barbara, CA
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Laurie Kirby to speak at Future of Festivals in Berlin
The European industry get-together for organizers, service providers, associations, decision-makers and trainees from the festival and live events industry.
The Future of Festivals and FestForums have collaborated on a two-part series of panels both in the US and Europe.
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Many days, I feel so fortunate because I get to engage with so many of you, learning and gleaning from your successes, challenges and memories. Each person has a unique story, filled with both joy and hardship. Festival producers pour their hearts and souls into crafting experiences for people who have no idea how much work goes on behind the scenes. Yet, given these conversations, I had never countenanced the idea that death might be a potential consequence of this business.
A recent conversation with a festival executive opened my eyes to just how fragile life can be, even in our business of joy-making! The ever-present threat of gun violence in this country has crept onto festival grounds. While incidents are becoming more frequent sadly, hearing firsthand about the fear, trauma and very real experience of dealing firsthand with gun violence at a festival profoundly impacted me in a way I hadn't anticipated. This is so tragic for the staff that is still traumatized to this day. To plan for the safety of others only to fail miserably due to a deranged killer is so horrifyingly shocking.. and yet it isn’t any more in this country.
Several doctors at various academic medical institutions who treated victims, in a total of seven mass shootings, talked with AAMCNews about how those experiences affected them. While everyone’s story is unique, many of them shared a common arc: the moment of crisis to assess and save victims; emotional struggles for weeks or months; recovery to a new normal with help from colleagues and family; and a changed approach to relating with colleagues and patients, often supplemented by activism to reduce the harm of gun violence.1
This is something we all share responsibility for as citizens. Our decisions in supporting local, state, and federal politicians directly affect how gun violence in this country will be addressed and impacted. It’s a travesty that anyone should attend a festival and not make it home because of senseless violence. We must and can do better.
1. https://www.aamc.org/news/never-the-same
For more information: https://everytownresearch.org/rankings/
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Join FestForums Partner, The Lobero Theatre, for Upcoming Concerts in Santa Barbara, CA
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Mariza
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 7:30 PM
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ZZ Ward - The Dirty Sun Tour
with special guest Angel White
Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 7:30 PM
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FestForums 2025 will be held at the beautiful beachfront property of
Mar Monte Hotel in Santa Barbara, CA.
As our host venue, all conference sessions are held at the Mar Monte Hotel. Explore the site, enjoy the many upscale property amenities, and take advantage of the Mar Monte’s prime beachfront location!
Book now before rooms sell out!
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