Author: Reform Radio

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Unlock Your Business Potential: Why Video Podcasting is a Game-Changer

In today’s digital landscape, standing out from the crowd is more challenging than ever. Enter video podcasting – a powerful tool that can elevate your brand, engage your audience, and boost your online presence. Let’s dive into why video podcasting should be an essential part of your content strategy.

As always our team are here to chat ideas, podcasts@reformradio.co.uk with a range of Manchester central studios and spaces to suit all budgets.

1. Capture and Retain Audience Attention

In a world of shrinking attention spans, video podcasts offer a dynamic way to keep your audience engaged. The combination of audio and visual elements creates a multi-sensory experience that’s more likely to hold viewers’ interest than text or audio alone.

2. Build Stronger Connections with Your Audience

Video allows your personality to shine through. Your audience can see your facial expressions, body language, and environment, creating a more personal connection. This authenticity can foster trust and loyalty among your customers.

3. Boost Your SEO and Online Visibility

Video content is favoured by search engines. In fact, websites with video are 53 times more likely to reach the front page of Google. By optimising your video podcast titles, descriptions, and tags, you can significantly improve your search engine rankings.

4. Versatile Content Creation

One video podcast episode can be repurposed into multiple pieces of content. Extract audio for traditional podcasts, create short clips for social media, or transcribe the content for blog posts. This versatility maximises your content output and reaches audiences across different platforms.

5. Showcase Your Expertise

Video podcasts provide an excellent platform to demonstrate your industry knowledge and skills. Whether you’re explaining complex concepts, interviewing experts, or showcasing your products, video allows you to position yourself as a thought leader in your field. Take a look at our portfolio for how we’ve helped achieve this for our clients.

6. Increase Shareability and Reach

Video content is highly shareable on social media platforms. Your audience is more likely to share an engaging video than a text post, potentially exposing your brand to a wider audience and driving organic growth.

7. Monetisation Opportunities

As your video podcast grows, so do your monetisation options. From sponsorships and advertising to premium content and merchandise, video podcasts open up diverse revenue streams.

8. Stay Ahead of the Curve

Video consumption continues to rise year over year. By embracing video podcasting now, you’re positioning your business at the forefront of this trend, giving you a competitive edge in your industry.

9. Improve Accessibility

Video podcasts can be made more accessible with features like closed captions and transcripts. This not only caters to viewers with hearing impairments but also to those who prefer reading or watching without sound.

10. Analytics for Informed Decision-Making

Video hosting platforms provide detailed analytics about viewer behaviour. These insights can help you understand your audience better and refine your content strategy for maximum impact.

Ready to Start Your Video Podcasting Journey?

Video podcasting is more than just a trend – it’s a powerful tool that can transform your business’s digital presence. By creating engaging, valuable content in video format, you can connect with your audience on a deeper level, improve your SEO, and open up new opportunities for growth and monetisation.

Don’t let your business fall behind. Embrace video podcasting today and start reaping the benefits of this dynamic content format. Your audience – and your bottom line – will thank you.

Want to learn more about how to get started with video podcasting? Podcasts@reformradio.co.uk

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Arts Council blog Featured on Homepage Funders House Of Wingz More Music RiteTrax

HERCHESTER UP NORTH CYPHER & DOCUMENTARY OUT NOW

Over the past year, Reform Radio has held a series of MC and lyrical workshops across the North West; a new leg of our rap collective project, HERchester. HERchester, led by world-class Manchester rapper, OneDa, was formed three years ago in answer to a need to nurture a safe space open for, but not exclusive to, female and non-binary spoken word, hip hop and grime artists. Following the cohort’s recent Northern workshop tour, we have released a behind-the-scenes documentary recording the participants’ progress towards performing at Manchester’s Blues Kitchen for an exclusive cypher, platforming marginalised voices within the UK rap scene..

Since its formation in 2020, funded by Arts Council England, HERchester has welcomed tens of aspiring MCs and rappers to the collective, offering them peer support, guidance and mentorship through the likes of workshops, performances, and more. The project has continually held a place-based approach to its creative sessions, with Reform Radio partnering with organisations across the North West to hold safe hubs for the collective to meet, create and collaborate in key cities. Since 2021, HERchester has had presence in Manchester, Sheffield (in partnership with Rite Trax), Blackpool (in partnership with House of Wingz), and Morcambe (in partnership with More Music). Year on year, the project has established itself as a vital contributor to changing the narrative regarding diversity within the scene.

Throughout the project’s biggest year yet, we filmed HERchester’s workshops and members to find out more about the individuals behind the movement, and to witness their progression first-hand. Thus, forming a 20 minute documentary of the programme. It soon became clear that HERchester was not only a hub of musicianship for its cohort, but it also provides a safe and social space in supporting them through their personal journeys.

“For me, being in HERchester and being in that space… I don’t feel this pressure to be the best or perform… it’s more so about being in a space, having freedom to write and create and connect with other people, hear what they’re doing, and just uplift each other. ”

– FREEQUENCY3 – HERchester member

Within the documentary, viewers get to meet each member of the cohort and gain insight in to how HERchester has impacted them both professionally and personally. From supporting musicians to offering safe spaces for women, queer and gender non-conforming artists to express authentically, to building confidence, resilience, social skills, and more within individuals, the project provides a well-rounded network to elevate the voices of all those involved in all capacities.

“We saw a huge lack of female and non-binary representation across hip-hop and rap lineups and we wanted to make a difference. In answer to this, we partnered with OneDa and Arts Council England and HERchester was born. We are already seeing the legacy it has created, with greater diversity across the North, more female and non-binary artists coming through and getting paid for their artistry. We want to keep changing the narrative, and keep the number of these artists getting recognised in the industry growing”

– Jemma Tanswell, Co-Director of Reform Radio

2023 has been a great year for HERchester, with the collective bagging performance slots at the likes of Manchester International Festival and Beyond the Music, alongside hosting their own residency on Reform Radio, and featuring as BBC 6 Music’s Spotlight artist.

Both the documentary and cypher mark HERchester’s ambition to grow from HERchester Up North to HERchester To The World. The course of workshops and their closing cypher make a nod to the necessity of amplifying marginalised voices in rap and altering the narrative on diversity. It is also a moving motivation to those considering beginning their journeys in music. HERchester aren’t stopping here, however; they intend to continue making a storm with their inspiring work across the North West.

“Our ambitions for HERchester going into 2024 are to move into new cities, new territories, as well as keeping the cities that we’ve got under our belt. We want to get the collective into production too alongside working on cypher material… this will further empower them to be independent well-rounded artists through their craft”

– OneDa, Manchester rapper & HERchester leader

So, the quest continues and we can’t wait to see what HERchester have up their sleeves for the new year. For now, you can support the cause over on their socials @herchester here, and follow Reform Radio on socials to keep up to date with where the project is heading next.

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Arts Council blog Featured on Homepage Funders House Of Wingz More Music RiteTrax

HERchester making waves

We thought it was about time we updated you on our flagship, all female and non-binary MC project HERchester, as there have been some serious developments over the last few months.

Firstly, massive congratulations to Prinny Moni, who’s just had her track signed to Red Bull. Prinny was straight on responding to a call from OneDa, who then put her name forward and the rest is history. This exemplifies what HERchester is all about, females pushing other female rappers forward in the industry.

Next up, after seeing last year’s HERchester cypher, Frequency was chosen to take part in an all star, Manchester cypher to celebrate the launch of Snoop Dog’s new wine brand Cali Red. Watch below.

In other news, work is well underway on a new podcast project that will pair a member of the HERchester fraternity with a scientific researcher, with the aim of making the academic work more accessible through the medium of rap. The first few collaborations have been recorded, including a trip to Cambridge with Soundcamp graduate Karis Jade.

This work has been funded by the HDBI and is due for release in 2023. The Human Developmental Biology Initiative (HDBI) is a Wellcome-funded group of researchers at Institutes across the UK who are all trying to better understand how humans develop before birth.

We’re also thrilled to announce the next iteration, HERchester Up North, has been kindly funded by Arts Council England and is launching very soon. More news on this this to follow but the project has been built of a successful, North West wide pilot last year. Check out what went down behind the scenes in our short documentary below. It brought together women, non-binary people, transgender women and those that identify as women from 4 different cities: Manchester, Morecambe, Blackpool and Sheffield teaming up with RiteTrax, House of Wingz and More Music who accommodated and guided participants in their respective cities.

If you want to get involved in our next instalment of HERchester Up North, drop us an email on projects@reformradio.co.uk.

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blog Featured Podcast

Reform Radio nominated twice at the Audio Production Awards

New for 2022, we are delighted that our work on environmental sustainability has copped us a nomination for The Sustainability Award. This has been several years work, namely from Lewys Stocks and our advisory board member Dan Jackson, but importantly engaging everyone across the organisation.

Congratulations to everyone and massive thanks to all our staff and community for engaging so positively in this work. Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a panel discussion focusing on creative sustainability, hosted by Dan. You can watch it back below.

To follow on from this success and to continue our work in this area, we’ll soon be launching free Carbon Literacy training, delivered by Dan, designed specifically for content makers and creatives. To sign up or find out more information email projects@reformradio.co.uk.

With The People’s Party being the first across the UK commission for BBC Radio 6 Music, we’re delighted that show’s host Afrodeutsche has been nominated for the Best New Voice award at this year’s APAs. Basically the Oscars for the production side of our industry, it’s great to see a concept that we’ve developed and produced has been recognised in this way. Massive congrats to the team and especially Henrietta, a born broadcaster who has brought her wealth of knowledge and passion to Friday nights on 6 Music.

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blog C-Change Featured on Homepage

WATCH LIVE HERE – Creative Sustainability Panel Event

Wednesday, 2nd November 2022, 5pm – 7pm GMT

Reform Radio, Bonded Warehouse 18 Lower Byrom Street, Manchester, M3 4AP

Climate change is complex and often terrifying but it can also be a rich source of inspiration. Whether it’s through creative placement and storytelling or transitioning to more sustainable practices, if you work in the creative industries you have more power than you realise.

Join us at Reform for a live, audio industry focused panel discussion, led by Dan Jackson, about how you can influence change through your editorial and creative practices. We will be discussing the increased importance of net zero, not just for the future of our planet but the acquisition of new work.

Dan has two decades of experience working across production and broadcasting. His credits span a broad range of programming including The South Bank Show, Coronation Street, and Beyond Belief and he’s produced content for ITV, the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 2 and 4 and the indie podcast sector including Spotify and Audible. Dan has won a number of awards for Sustainability in Production and combines his editorial, production-management and technical experience to support Reform Radio as an advisory board member.

Hosted by Reform’s Assistant Producer, Aisha Williams who has worked with Dan in the past to produce and present the station’s C-Change round table discussions. She is the perfect person to talk about how Reform have put Dan’s teachings into action.

Also joining them will be Reform Radio director Sam Oliveira to discuss the launch of a new carbon literacy training program, designed specifically for producers and content creators. This training will be free for anyone living in Greater Manchester and is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project. Come along to find out more.

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blog Featured on Homepage Featured Podcast

Reform commissioned to produce BBC Sounds playlist Focus Beats

We’re thrilled to announce that Reform Radio have been commissioned to produce BBC Sounds, curated music mix, Focus Beats.

For the next year we’ll be releasing a new mix every week via BBC Sounds. Focus Beats does exactly what it says on the tin, a curated mix of beat tapes and instrumental tracks designed to help you focus on work, study, do domestic chores or more importantly, chilling out.

Over the course of the year, we’ll be working with some key talent to join us as guest curators on the series; news on those names to follow. The other episodes will be curated by us and what is exciting about this commission is it’s big on supporting new music, especially from new producers.

If you’ve got any beats or instrumental hip hop tracks you want to submit for potential inclusion then please email focusbeats@reformradio.co.uk.

What excites both us and the BBC Sounds team about this series is the opportunity it gives us to bring new talent into the BBC and showcase some of the people we’ve been working with and have access too. This philosophy also applies to our production team, with producer Olivia and assistant producers Aisha, Jamie and Mike having all come through our outreach projects. For Jamie and Mike this will be their first BBC credit.

In other news, we’ve been commissioned to produce another year of The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche, which goes out live every Friday night, 7pm on BBC Radio 6 Music. Focus Beats will also get a live transmission on 6 Music as part of their overnight schedule.

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Featured Podcast Podcasts

Like A Fine Wine with Oz Clarke

A few of the team have been working with our sister station Sonder to produce new audio series Like A Fine Wine.

Funded by the Audio Content Fund, this five part series was broadcast across 21 community radio stations during October and is available to listen on demand via all podcast streaming platforms.

With UK wine now regularly winning awards across the globe, Oz Clarke has been on the road this summer exploring the vast variety our British shores have to offer. Joining him are his team of four tasters, largely novices, who learn increasingly more about wine and each other as the series progresses. Like A Fine Wine is not your average drink show, but a metaphysical journey into the human experience, with the symbolism of winemaking serving as the backbone. 

Jamie, who is now a regular Reform freelancer following a Kickstart placement, was Sound Recordist and Sound Designer on this, doing a fantastic job editing together hours and hours of multi-microphone audio across each episode.

Our new Operations Coordinator Farwa, was Production ordinator, managing a multitude of complex logistics, with the UK wide, rural locations, multiple transport interchanges and a large number of crew and cast to keep her eye on. It is testament to her ability that everything ran smoothly, safely and to time.

The podcast reached as high as 6 in the Apple Podcast charts, with great reviews and feedback from audiences. There are now plans to develop multiple series, with Oz Clarke especially engaging with the concept and the team.

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Featured Podcast Podcasts

Sins and Virtues: Gratitude

Join us to listen to a brand new podcast series ‘Gratitude’ produced by Reform Radio.

Musician James Wilson launches Sins and Virtues, a podcast that brings together arts, culture and faith to explore the concept of gratitude. The Gratitude podcast forms part of Wilson’s overarching project on the seven deadly sins and the seven heavenly virtues.

The first series, hosted by academic professor and broadcaster Mona Siddiqui, explores honest conversations with four creative practitioners to explore what gratitude means to them and how it has impacted their lives and exploration of art. 

Here’s what host Mona Siddiqui had to say:

‘’Toni Morrison said that civilisations heal ‘when artists go to work.’ These podcasts reveal the struggles and hopes of four very different artists whose creativity is underpinned by the restorative practice of gratitude.’’

The four episodes originally aired weekly from 8 to 29 March 2022 at 2pm, feature Lisette Auton, Ciarán Hodgers, Ione Maria Rojas and Leon Clowes. Each guest explores how gratitude is both a virtue and can bring its own setbacks.

Artists in the series cover topics such as, being brave enough to start an art career, creative blocks and panic attacks, disability and whether the pandemic was a force for good for creative practice. 

Listen here

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Featured Podcast Podcasts

BBC Radio 6 Music – The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche

We were thrilled to join the 6 Music family in October 2021, producing The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche every Friday night from 7-9pm. 

As the first ever ‘Across The UK’ commission for the network, Reform Radio are proud to produce the weekly Friday night music show on BBC Radio 6 Music; The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche.

The show concept was devised entirely by the Reform Radio team, including features, talent proposition and in response to a brief that called for audiences to be at the heart of the program.

This show is a real celebration of the listener. Every week, a different listener joins us as our People’s Party Selector and chooses two tracks, One To Warm Up To and One To Let Lose To. The rest of the selections and features are then built around those choices, building a playlist that feels full of Friday night energy, transitioning listeners from day time to more specialist programming.

Through ‘The Unmixable Challenge’ some of the biggest artists in the world are asked to mix together two completely opposite tracks, and the listeners decide if it works or not. Nina Kravitz was forced to mix Cindy Lauper and Bon Jovi in one hilarious attempt, whilst Groove Armada combined New Order with Aretha Franklin and caused quite a stir. 

With guest mixes from DJs, musicians and the freshest new sounds, there is something for everyone. 

Our production team is made from young people who have come through our outreach projects and we’re proud to have provided a pipeline for this talent into the BBC. 

Listen weekly from 7-9pm on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Listen here

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Featured Podcast Podcasts

Tough Talks – Hits Radio

Reform Radio were thrilled to work on a project with Hits Radio and their new sister station Hits Radio Pride, funded by the Audio Content Fund. The series features members of the LGBTQ+ community discussing a time when they had a difficult conversation with someone surrounding their sexuality or gender identity, with the very person they had the conversation with. 

Pairs discussed uncomfortable and intimate times in their relationships including moments they had often never spoken about before. Issues ranged from trans, gay and HIV coming-out stories, to gay dads worried about not bonding with their child, to a lesbian couple struggling with one partner’s masculine identity.

Tough Talks won Gold at the 2021 British Podcast Awards for Best Sex and Relationships Podcast, and its producer, Olivia Swift, won Gold for Best New Podcast Producer at the 2021 Audio Production Awards. 

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Featured Podcast Podcasts

The Life and Death Podcast

Each year since 2020, we have produced a new series of The Life and Death Podcast. The long-running podcast has contributed to Reform Radio’s wins at the much coveted Audio Production Awards and ARIAs.

The challenge

Ashgate Hospice care approached us in 2020 looking for a new way to raise awareness around the importance of good end of life care. It was clear to us that this wasn’t an immediate fundraising exercise but a wider awareness piece that would provide intimate insight into their work and in itself generate new PR and media opportunities.

The team were immensely proud of the difficult work they do and were keen to share best practice and engage other end of life providers. A podcast is the perfect why to do this and would allow them to engage and inform colleagues on a global scale as well as encourage all listeners to have better conversations around death and dying.

The response

After talking with the team during our kick off meeting, it became immediately clear how connected and caring each member of the organisation was to the patients. Through their work, they create perhaps the most intimate, open and personal connections it is possible for two humans to have and we wanted to really bring this to the forefront.

Our idea was simple, to bring together givers and receivers of end-of-life care to have an intimate conversation to discuss life, death and their unique relationship. The resulting conversations, many recorded under the added pressures of lockdown, were more powerful than we could ever had imaged.

The outcome

Following advice from our our bespoke launch and marketing plan, the podcast debuted in the top 20 of the Personal Journals category on Apple Podcasts. This brought in a huge amount of listeners and a mass of five star ratings and reviews.

As anticipated, the podcast allowed the hospice to explore new PR opportunities with in depth interviews on BBC Radio Sheffield, Imagine Radio, Hasland Magazine and Destination Chesterfield.

Currently developing its third series, The Life And Death Podcast has touched many listeners and achieved its aim of breaking down the stigma around death, dying and grief. The number of reviews and comments, a few of which we’ve shared below, showed the impact this series had on its audience.

The series has allowed the hospice to engage with colleagues across the globe and they’ve received emails from other providers to say the podcast has been used a tools within their own organisations.

Bespoke video content

In more recent series, we have been commissioned to create bespoke video content for the hospice. We have recorded interviews in person and online, and turned them into eye-catching and engaging short videos for socials.

A few reviews left on Apple Podcasts

“A gorgeous, serious, insightful, engaging and engaged podcast. One fo the most listenable and likeable hosts i’ve heard, one that’s open, genuine and interested. If you are interested in life in its most final sense…LISTEN!!!“

“This morning I watched the funeral of a dear friend being streamed. Tonight I was sent this podcast and it has helped calm my scrambled thoughts.”

“This is such a life affirming podcast. Roy’s attitude to life is inspiring. Stephen’s relationship with Roy is touching and the level of mutual respect they have for each other comes across. Roy’s mantra of Live life and the dying will take care of itself is so moving.“

“This podcast may come across hard hitting and deep however has a real heart warming feel to it too! This subject is so important and good quality terminal healthcare needs be the standard that is set. This podcast really helps to promote that!”

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Podcasts

XR STORIES and SIGN

XR Stories is an organisation supporting research, development and innovation in technology-led creative content, experiences, and stories. Over two series of the XR Stories and Sign Podcast 

provides access to expertise, infrastructure and facilities to help researchers, companies and creatives working in extended reality (XR) and next generation convergent media technologies unleash their full potential.

In 2021, XR Stories were part of our Audioform mentorship programme. Working with three young people on our course We have produced a ten part podcast series for XR Stories, in which extended reality and storytelling meet. The series, hosted by XR Stories Creative Producer, John Rose-Adams, takes an in depth look at interactive storytelling genres, from theatre to gaming, virtual reality escape rooms and so much more. 

Listen in to get to know the creators and innovators behind ten immersive storytelling projects. All episodes are available to download on your favourite streaming platforms.

MORE INFO HERE
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Arts Council blog Events Funders Thirty Pound Gentleman Youth Music

WOH Thursdays: Part 3 ft The Mirror Ball Test, SUTTY, Trees.R.Good and Queen Tamika

WOH Thursdays is a 4 part series, premiering all the performances from Reform’s Stage at We Out Here On Line & On Air Festival. The stage gave Soundcamp graduates the opportunity to perform alongside…

On 20th May, performances from Trees.R.Good, Queen Tamika, Sutty and The Mirror Ball Test will be going live.

Trees.R.Good

Trees.R.Good is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ spreading her extended European heritage through bass driven, groove infused sounds.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:00 (BST) to catch the performance.

Queen Tamika

Born in Manchester, the singer-songwriter, rapper, model and performer is an all around creative who uses influences from her Caribbean heritage and life experiences to give us soul nourishing music, draped in advice and wisdom.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:15 (BST) to catch the performance.

SUTTY

SUTTY is a singer-songwriter, producer and flautist based in Manchester. She creates and collaborates on hip hop beats, singing over them with soulful vocals and honest lyrics.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:30 (BST) to catch the performance.

The Mirror Ball Test

The Mirror Ball Test are a 7-piece jazz fusion band from Manchester, whose music is an exploration of the world through psychedelic interpretations, and grounded in melodic and layered soundtracks.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:40 (BST) to catch the performance.

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Arts Council blog Events Funders Thirty Pound Gentleman Youth Music

WOH Thursdays: Part 2 ft Renee Stormz & Alto Sounds, Aaliyah Espirt, Inka, Skarlet and Joe Roche

WOH Thursdays is a 4 part series, premiering all the performances from Reform’s Stage at We Out Here On Line & On Air Festival.  The stage gave Soundcamp graduates the opportunity to perform alongside some of Manchester’s finest artists. 

On 13th May, performances from Joe Roche, Skarlet, INKA, Aaliyah Esprite and Renee Stormz will be going live.

Joe Roche

Joe Roche represents the new school old school. From receiving recent support from Jaguar on Radio 1 to spreading his wings across the Mancunian club circuit and beyond. Adding signature versatility to the acid house dimension has seen this young DJ/producer rise through the ranks.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:00 (BST) to catch the performance.

Skarlet

Skarlet is an electro-folk singer-songwriter who writes about real experiences, drawing out the light from the darkness with her jazzy, blues rich voice.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:15 (BST) to catch the performance.

INKA

Based in South Manchester, Inka is an inspired DJ/producer who has been turning heads in the UK underground for a while, mesmerising dance floors up and down the country with his unmistakable selections. From the studio, he manages to bend and fuse sub-low frequencies with his own unique influences from the worlds of hip-hop, soul and ambience, creating a trademark Inka-style.

Expect to be taken on a journey through sound at his shows, as he sets his own unique productions alongside some of the deepest cuts around. The Beeswaxx resident and co-founder is always experimenting with his sets & delivers the energy every time so make sure you pull up.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:25 (BST) to catch the performance.

Aaliyah Esprit

Aaliyah Esprit is a singer, songwriter who’s been making waves with her fusion of lounge R&B sound with soul and trap and her sweltering vocals, with a standout release on Future Bubblers and a string of festival performances.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:45 (BST) to catch the performance.

Renee Stormz

Renee Stormz is an MC, writer & singer, delivering bouncy flows articulating poignant truths that explore the experiences of a black woman growing up in the West. Renee presents powerful songs, solo and collaboratively.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 21:05 (BST) to catch the performance.

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Reform Radio Turns 8: Instagram AMA to Celebrate

On Thursday 20th May 2021, Reform will be hosting a Q&A to celebrate turning 8.

Celebrate with Reform through an interactive AMA on Instagram where you can ask our Magic 8 Ball any questions related to Reform Radio.

Head to Reform Radio’s Instagram on Thursday 20th May to celebrate.

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Arts Council blog Events Funders Thirty Pound Gentleman Youth Music

WOH Thursdays: Part 1 ft Yelena Lashimba, KUPI, Babyflxcko & Zeyla

WOH Thursdays is a 4 part series, premiering all the performances from Reform’s Stage at We Out Here On Line & On Air Festival. The stage gave Soundcamp graduates the opportunity to perform alongside

On 6th May, performances from Yelena Lashimba, KUPI, Babyflxcko and Zelya will be going live.

Yelena Lashimba

Yelena Lashimba uses inspiration from percussive genres like Samba and Afro to carve a unique indie RnB sound, infusing smooth vocals alongside the occasional spoken word verse as part of a new generation using their art to champion feminism.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:00 (BST) to catch the performance.

KUPI

Formed within the vacuum of lockdown, KUPI is a newly born experimental music project piecing together highly detailed rabbit holes of sound for you to fall down. Within these sonic environments, lush soundscapes flow and crash around mangled found sounds and jagged walls of electronic percussion.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:15 (BST) to catch the performance.

Babyflxcko

Bethany White better known as Babyflxcko, Sheffield born singer/songwriter has been surrounded by music her whole life with a family full of musicians. Being a young girl she spent time singing daily in her bedroom and figuring out which music best suited her voice. Growing up she had (still has) a great passion for Hip Hop and Rap.

Her influences Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, Jhene Aiko, Michael Jackson, Kali Uchis, Lauryn Hill etc inspired her love for Soul, Jazz and R&B.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:30 (BST) to catch the performance.

Zeyla

Raised on a rich heritage of Hip, Hop, Soul, Jazz, Funk, Reggae & House, Zeyla is a multi-genre DJ and Reform Resident, who makes it her point to share her experiences of the world through her mixing.

Head to Reform‘s Youtube at 20:45 (BST) to catch the performance.

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New Balance Grey Day With Meme Gold

On Saturday 15th May at 13:00 (BST), Reform will be representing Manchester for this year’s New Balance Grey Day.

Over the course of five hours, New Balance will be taking over the airwaves of five of the UK’s most respected online stations, with Reform kicking off proceedings.

Representing and hosting for Reform will be Meme Gold, a Manchester based creative and good friend of Reform.

The show will be showcasing music by the likes of Jovialethehurricane4000, Greentea Peng and China Lilly.

Meme has also invited Soundcamp’s graduates Sarah Angel, for a live performance and chat. Sarah Angel’s live session video recording will be premiering on Reform’s Youtube channel on 22nd May.

Tune into Reform Radio this Saturday 15th May at 1pm to catch the show.

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New Music: Sonic Synthesis – Roots by China Lilly, SINDYSMAN, Micco,Elias

Rhythm Lab Records has new music coming out of their most recent project Sonic Synthesis.

Rhythm Lab Records is an independent record label run out of Manchester (UK) with a history of fostering local and international collaborations in a sustainable and forward-thinking manner.

Sonic Sythesis is a project where artists that have never met before create a track independently of one another – and subsequently swap each other’s STEMS in order to create a unique re-work of each other’s original tracks.

The second release to come out of the series is Roots, a collaboration EP between China Lilly X Sindysman & Micco X Elias. The tracks glides from soulful experimental electronic sounds to remixed fast-paced garage influenced beats.

Sonic Synthesis: Roots will be released on Wednesday 28th April.

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Secret Night Gang sign to Brownswood

Following on from their now legendary (because we said so) live session as part of our stage at We Out Here; Online & On Air in 2020, Manchester’s SNG sign to Brownswood.

Handpicked by Gilles Peterson from Manchester’s vibrant live music scene, and newly signed to Brownswood, 2021 set to be the main stage for them to breeze on to the scene, as a multi-generational band breathing new life into the classic British street-soul sound, founded by singer/song-writer Kemani Anderson, multi-instrumentalist and song-writer Callum Connell and Manchester music scene stalwart Stuart Whitehead.

Kemani started singing as a child in the pentecostal church “I would hear songs sung about life, joy, happiness, sorrow and pain. Hearing such beautiful gospel music growing up as a child and even to this day was and is the reason why I’m so into music now and going forwards. Gospel music has a special place in my heart as it would be the genre of music I would hear my mother sing and shine on the praise and worship team or hear my brother play bass/drums a long with the other musicians in the church.” He connected with Callum at school, where they played in the steel pan band together. Having a shared love of writing music they bonded sharing their own influences from gospel, folk, soul funk and R&B. Together, encouraged by their music teacher Tom Burford (aka Rhythm Section’s Contours) they started attending jam nights like ‘Jam Street’ and ‘Matt and Phreds’. From these nights they connected with bass player Stuart Whitehead in 2018, and after a summer of endless late nights was spent rehearsing and writing at Old Trafford rehearsal rooms next to a tram yard, decided to form Secret Night Gang. With the band expanding to include drummer Myke Wilson (52nd Street, The Jazz Defektors, Swing Out Sister) and Jack Duckham on guitar, the generations come together to carve out their own lane, a real celebration of exceptional songwriting and musicianship to expand on their indefinable eclectic sound.

Check out their session below and head over to here to grab a copy of the latest single, The Sun.

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