Cranium Conference & Showcase 2026: Saturday events

Cranium Arts Project is excited to announce the Cranium Conference and Showcase 2026.

The music event will connect active industry professionals with musicians, artists and people making moves in the arts and entertainment business. The weekend will feature networking sessions, information panels with music professionals, masterclasses, and a showcase featuring some great emerging talent.

Schedule: Saturday, May 9, 2026

12:00 – 12:45 pm: Creator Meet Up

Atelier Shenkman Smith – FREE, registration required Calling all music creatives. Kick-start the day by tapping in, connecting with peers, and plotting the next project. This casual meetup will include light refreshments and is a space to network, exchange ideas, and spark new collaborations before the conference gets underway. It is ideal for:

Songwriters Recording Artists Producers Beatmakers Engineers Photographers Videographers

12:55 – 1:50 pm: Beyond the Mix: The Many Roles a DJ Can Play

Atelier Shenkman Smith – FREE, registration required Explore what becomes possible when DJs think beyond simply getting booked and start thinking more intentionally about the role they play in rooms, in culture, and in their careers. This talk is aimed at people who are already active in or around the music scene and asks a bigger question: how can DJs create more value beyond just playing a set? The session will also touch on the power of taste, timing, and positioning, and why long-term growth often comes from what a DJ builds around the work, not just from the work itself. It is a perspective for DJs, artists, promoters, and creatives who want to think bigger about what this work can become.

Facilitator: DJ Karyen

2:00 – 3:00 pm: Producer Roundtable

Peter A. Herrndorf Place – FREE, no registration required Producers and beatmakers play a crucial role in shaping the sound, leading vocal artists to develop their sound, and often functioning as performance coaches. This discussion will provide a space for producers to speak among themselves, followed by an audience Q&A session.

Spotlight: Daniel “GoldStripes” Desir

3:10 – 3:55 pm: Building the Artist: The Creative Business of Music

Peter A. Herrndorf Place – FREE, no registration required The panel explores the layered relationship between artists, management, labels and other agencies – the strategy, structure, and human side of building a career. We’ll look at the many roles management can play – career architect, negotiator, sounding board – and what it takes to manage sustainably, whether you’re self-managed or working with a team.

Moderator: Mischa Plouffe Expert Panel: Natalie Bernardin, Teon Gibbs, Nathan “Thrilla” Gravelle

4:05 – 5:05 pm: WARP Presents: Craft, Care + Continuity

Peter A. Herrndorf Place – FREE, no registration required Interdisciplinary artists speak to the realities of maintaining their own artistic practices alongside the unseen labour and responsibility of community building through their events, while exchanging strategies for preventing burnout and sustaining creative work.

Moderation: VIVRANT Speakers: Princia.C, MEMETIC, DJ del Pilar

5:10 – 5:55 pm: Keynote Interview with Jords

Peter A. Herrndorf Place – FREE, no registration required Jords is an artist based in Croydon, England, whose rise has been undeniable since his motion picture‑assisted project Almost an Adult (2020), now surpassing 20 million streams. In 2023, he released Dirt in the Diamond, featuring Masego, Wretch 32, and Kranium, and making history as the first UK rap album released under Motown Records. The project was paired with a short film that earned recognition at the Tribeca Film Festival and received 11 award nominations, including a MOBO nod for Video of the Year.

Beyond the music, Jords invests directly in his community through Pickni Uniforms, the charity he founded to provide affordable school uniforms—reflecting his deep commitment to Black British-Caribbean families.

This keynote interview will explore Jords’ evolution as an artist, discussing his experiences developing his sound and his journey through the music business. This session will allow time for an audience Q&A.