7 min readGreater Manchester’s trailblazing United We Stream project is pleased to announce the beginning of StreamGM, a new ethical streaming platform for the region’s emerging and established talent.
Launching at Digital City Festival on 12th April, StreamGM will showcase diverse cultural events and acts from Greater Manchester.
StreamGM builds on the incredible achievements of United We Stream GM, launched on April 3rd, 2020, in swift response to the first UK lockdown.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, an early supporter of the project said: “United We Stream GM was an incredible success, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for people working in the culture industry at a time when through no fault of their own they were not able to work, and put smiles on the faces of people in Greater Manchester and across the world when they needed it most.
“Like everyone involved, I’m excited for the next stage of this journey as we launch StreamGM to showcase all the local talent we have right here in Greater Manchester.
“While we are all looking forward to getting back to live theatre, music and everything else our culture sector has to offer, this world class digital platform will play an essential role in our recovery throughout 2021.
“Many venues will not be able to reopen fully until the second half of the year so by prioritising digital development such as this, we can continue to support our culture sector so they can later support us all through our personal recoveries from what we have experienced through the pandemic.”
Andy Burnham Fundraiser DJ set on United We Stream
Through the remarkable legacy of United We Stream, StreamGM will continue to promote the vibrant culture within the region, and create new local, national and global audiences.
The established international collaborations will continue with StreamGM under the international United We Stream umbrella, ensuring the digital platform continues to benefit from the mutually beneficial worldwide partnerships that were established in 2020.
The opportunity to showcase Greater Manchester talent through the international United We Stream network will be a key element of StreamGM's talent pathway strategy.
This will include specialised ‘hands on’ industry experience for young people, in the production and promotion of digital broadcasting.
Poet Tony Walsh performing in Our City Speaks
Greater Manchester Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord said: “This time last year we were putting the finishing touches to our very first United We Stream weekend. There is no way we could have known back then, just how hard COVID would affect us all and how long it would last.
“In an incredibly hard year for many, United We Stream Greater Manchester provided moments of escape and joy and I’m incredibly proud of all we achieved. It’s now time to look to the future and, as we start to gradually unlock, how some of the partnerships and projects developed during 2020 adapt to complement live events.
“StreamGM is a perfect example of this, providing a platform for emerging Greater Manchester talent to perform to global audiences, taking talent beyond venue walls, helping our amazing city-region emerge from the pandemic in the strongest possible position.”
With a desire to get the biggest digital audiences for the best talent, The StreamGM team are driven by a love of local music, art and Mancunian cultural heritage.
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DJ Paulette on United We Stream LaDiscotheque
StreamGM co-producer Marie-Claire Daly said: “We’re a small team driven by an immense shared love of music and culture, and will continue to bang the drum for Greater Manchester.
“Live streaming has been around for years, but worldwide lockdowns and social distancing meant no more in-person events or performances, so it became a source of escapism as audiences transitioned to live streamed experiences, connecting together, virtually.
“Despite the U.K roadmap into reopening, the exponential digital broadcasting boom will continue as we slowly move into recovery from the pandemic, and streaming will play a valuable part in both bolstering and enhancing the culture and live events sector for years to come.
“It feels very fitting to launch our next chapter with Digital City Festival, an event with digital innovation, excellence and community at its heart.
“We’re honoured to be part of this brilliant programme of events and can’t wait to see StreamGM come to life.”
Digital City Festival is an annual event series exploring what makes a leading digital city.
Production for the festival is based at state-of-the-art studios in Salford’s Media City with all events broadcast online. StreamGM will kick off proceedings on April 12 with an explosive audio-visual DJ set themed around Mancunian music and culture.
Digital City Festival Director, Martyn Collins said: “We’re delighted to have StreamGM curating the entertainment for our delegates at Digital City Festival. Despite lockdown, the amazing United We Stream project showed that innovation, creativity, music and performance could still be created, shared and enjoyed by all.
“Using digital as the core platform and reaching a global audience, StreamGM is perfectly in sync with Manchester’s digital city status and also recognising that people are at the heart of everything we do.”
DJ Woody - United We Stream The Hacienda 24 Hr House Party
Digital City Festival will launch with DJ Woody, who combines live mixing with a visual storytelling journey. His unique style of DJ’ing made him a firm favourite with viewers on United We Stream GM, with his last performance on the platform as part of the smash hit finale show on New Year’s Eve with The Hacienda, which saw four million global views over the duration of the unique 24-hour online party.
On April 13th Sacha Lord will chair an exclusive StreamGM panel with VIP speakers: Lutz Leichsenring founder of the global United We Stream organisation and Club Commissioner for Berlin, renowned DJ and The Hacienda producer Graeme Park, Tom Besford from English Folk Expo, DJ Rebecca Swarray, Artistic Director of the Met David Agnew and United We Stream/StreamGM’s producer Marie-Claire Daly.
Topics for the half an hour discussion include: United We Stream, StreamGM and the legacy of lockdown live-streaming.
Manchester Jazz Festival
Manchester Jazz Festival, The Hacienda’s DJ Graeme Park, Showhawk Duo and Jodrell Bank’s Blue Dot festival favourites ’Science in the House’ will also be turning in special performances on the StreamGM virtual stage.
The festival finale on April 22 will host the first ever StreamGM talent showcase, platforming the best breakthrough acts from across the region.
This specially curated two-hour show will spotlight Greater Manchester’s hottest bands, singers, performers, dancers, artists and poets.
All Digital City Festival events will broadcast online from state-of-the-art studios at MediaCityUK, featuring a range of keynotes, panels, roundtables, an online exhibition and much more.
The festival aims to unite everyone working across tech, marketing, ecommerce, media and creative as one global community.
The international collaboration between the Greater Manchester and Berlin teams will develop new alliances, curate international live-streamed shows and build best practice models around ethical streaming.
Berlin Club Commissioner Lutz Leichsenring, who founded the award-winning United We Stream project said: “Only through the perseverance and commitment of nightlife and cultural representatives such as the team from Greater Manchester, has it been possible to create a global platform for music and club culture.
“I am very pleased that we are consolidating the structures in order to build up an international solidarity network for club-cultural issues."
Chair of Berlin’s United We Stream Association, Anna Harnes said: “The birth of the United We Stream global network has enabled cities and their club ‘culturepreneurs’ to support each other through fundraising, engagement and exposure for performers and artists through this international, digital platform.
“Through the United We Stream Global Association, both the teams in Greater Manchester and Berlin will seize the moment and lead collectively towards the shift from survive to thrive.”
To join Digital City Festival, register for access here.
For more information about StreamGM please go to: www.streamgm.co.uk
