Greater 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.”
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.
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.
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 12th with an explosive audio-visual DJ set themed around Mancunian music and culture.
To join Digital City Festival, register for access here.
