Performers
The award-winning A4 Brass Quartet are one of the UK's leading young chamber ensembles. Based at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, A4 Brass is comprised of principal players from some of the UK's leading brass bands, including the world famous Grimethorpe Colliery and Foden’s bands.
Adventurer & Fundraiser for Mental Health Awareness
Aged 22, Alex Staniforth is an endurance adventurer, athlete, author and charity fundraiser from Cheshire. He is no stranger to adversity – suffering epilepsy, stammering, bullying in early life. He has challenged these life challenges through outdoor challenges; and now helps others to overcome theirs. He survived the 2015 Nepal earthquake during his second attempt to climb Mount Everest and in 2017 he became the fastest person ever to climb all 100 UK county tops, advocating his struggle with mental illness. He won the Pride of Britain Granada Reports Fundraiser of the Year 2017, raising over £85,000 for charities so far.
Performers
Formed in 2014 while studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, over the past year Artephis independently released and toured their debut, loosely conceptual album: 'All Change No Change'. Artephis draw contemporary influence from Christian Scott's 'Stretch Music', Butcher Brown, and Brian Blade & the Fellowship, with an increasingly electronic element, all the while rooted in Miles Davis' late-'60s/early-'70s On The Corner/Big Fun/Jack Johnson era. Described by mentor Mike Walker (The Impossible Gentlemen) as having 'an organic, collectively individual sound that always has an eye on the narrative’, they compose with a feel for the programmatic, underpinned by contemporary jazz improvisation.
Artistic Director, Violinist & Educator
Catherine Arlidge is a violinist, educator and concert presenter with a deep understanding of the world of classical music and a passion for potential within young people. She is Artistic and Educational Director of the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain and a member of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. She is also a founder member of The Stringcredibles and programmes and presents concerts across the UK for children, families and audiences new to classical music.
Social Campaigner & Director of Real Junk Food Manchester
Corin founded Real Junk Food Manchester in 2014 after meeting Adam Smith, the founder of the original Real Junk Food café in Leeds. Corin is a Project Manager and campaigner who has worked with the community, charity, public and private sectors on projects around sustainability, environment and food waste for 10 years. She’s passionate about social justice and transforming our economic system. Corin works too much and has a lingering cheese addiction.
Dr James O'Keefe
Cardiologist
James H O'Keefe MD, is a Board Certified Cardiologist and Director of both the Charles & Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center and the Preventive Cardiology service at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. He is consistently ranked among the ‘Top Doctor’ lists regionally and nationally as one of America’s Top Rated Physicians in Cardiology. Dr O’Keefe has contributed more than 350 articles to medical literature and has authored best-selling cardiovascular books for health professionals including: The Complete Guide to ECGs (which is used for Cardiology Board Certification), Dyslipidemia Essentials, and Diabetes Essentials. He lectures extensively on the role of therapeutic lifestyle changes and drug therapy in cardiovascular risk reduction.
Jamie Woodward
Geographer, Geomorphologist, Geoarchaeologist
Jamie is a geomorphologist with particular interests in the nature and impacts of Quaternary environmental change in the Mediterranean region and the Nile basin. Jamie will be exploring a subject matter closer to home, namely our changing relationship with the rivers of this city from the Industrial Revolution to the menace of microplastics. He is a professor of physical geography at the University of Manchester.
Mohamed Farah
Youth Leader
Mohamed was born in Ethiopia in 1987. He is profoundly Deaf and uses an array of sign languages including British Sign Language and American Sign Language. He works part time at the Manchester Deaf Centre as a Youth Leader with part of his remit being to lead the design and delivery of two projects that target young deaf people from Manchester and the surrounding areas. Mohamed enjoys catching up with friends and family, sports and watching movies.
Campaign Manager
Phyllida was set to enter into her third year studying on a Modelmaking Degree when she was involved in a major car accident that left her with facial scarring. She has since become a media volunteer for the charity Changing Faces. Phyllida is passionate about highlighting the difficulties to live in a society with such pressures around looks, especially if you are seen as profoundly ‘flawed’.
Psychotherapist
William Pullen is a 50 year old London based psychotherapist, author, and founder of Dynamic Running Therapy. His approach uses a fusion of movement, mindfulness and talk therapy. He is also the developer of the app "Dynamic Running Therapy". His book, "Running with Mindfulness," has been published in 8 countries.