Rationale
A Crescendo of a Night seeks to provide an uplifting space for performers, perceivers, promoters, sound & bar staff, and crafters. With accessibility and inclusion at its core, our gig will foster community through affordable tickets and fully supporting a diverse range of creatives. All profits are to be split equally between contributors in order to tackle ongoing injustice in industry structures. Our own qualified pancake chef will be one of six stallholders, and the lineup subverts categorisation by genre. From interactive Free Jazz to sapphic Indie Folk to foot-twitching Soul, February 17th – the Lunar New Year, or Shrove Tuesday – is a time to celebrate the oncoming Spring. We aim to contribute to Leeds’ DIY scene with a cheap and varied festival-style event.
Time Management
Various mechanisms were utilised to ensure task completion, with some success. We started with in-person meetings at the venue, which proved useful for engaging with staff and understanding the usable space but were not viable to continue due to travel and work constraints. In order to adapt, we switched tactics and completed our remaining task allocation and group discussion online. This is becoming increasingly common as the industry adapts to a digital generation and a post-COVID scene (Aghakhani, N, 2021). As liaison manager, I set up a communications sheet (Communications-sheet1) to monitor information coming in, and dates and details of the last conversation. Our main delays were in decision on venue booking and hearing back from contacted collaborators, which stemmed from difficulty in communication and artistic burnout. In order to address this, I considered the best forms of contact and tone to help support the artists and promoters, as often promoters can be difficult to reach and hurried when asking for material (Simpson, J, 2023). (primary source) As a medium-sized gig, this was functional, but I can see how replicated data and confusing column titles could make things trickier with more inputs and a larger crew. The digital approach allowed for different promoters to find information at a time that suited them, which proved more efficient.
The task manager sheet (A Cresendo time:task planning) also addresses one of the sticking points of the operation: task paralysis. To properly prepare before the gig, certain things, for example date and artist confirmation, had to take priority. Other jobs, like poster making and promotion, relied on the timing of these initial tasks. It became hard to work out the order in which to complete tasks and to claim individual responsibility for jobs. Procrastination, or task paralysis, are common in neurodiverse people, and knowing that a significant proportion of the artist and promotion crew have disabilites such as ADHD and autism, I tried to reduce the factors that stop initiation of tasks (Solvang, P.K, 2026). This is particularly relevant in the wider conversation around the social model of disability and the reduction in PIP and Universal Credit (government) leaving many artists unable to work (Work & Pensions, 2026). Considering our gig’s community focus, it is important to note that intersectionality takes priority in creating equity and often yields better results as more voices can be heard. With this in mind, I set up columns in the task manager sheet to clearly show who was involved in co-ordinating each task, while having conversations in people’s prefered method on which jobs felt most suited to them and their schedules. Both hard deadlines, like the date of the gig and the date of the essay hand-in, and soft deadlines, like later this week, were used. Set by the column designated to demonstrate barriers or previous necessary tasks, the soft deadline column especially helped me to work out what could be done in a day. In future, better instruction and more clarity in naming tasks would prove beneficial as we encountered long periods where nobody was available to update the sheet, or lacked knowledge of how. I would also implement an Eisenhower Graph (article) closer to the event date (Eisenhower, 2026). I find these are useful in spotting outlying urgent tasks and prioritising importance, but lack the detail of order of completion and multiple or varied deadlines.
On the day of the gig, time will be managed according to the stage timings and setup document. Once we have access at 3pm, it’s important we use the four hours before doors to arrange furniture and check sound and safety because of our responibility of care to the audience and the uninterrupted growing energy through the night. Stallholders will pack down before the final set to allow for a speedy load-out, and Khambrel will ensure the DJ equipment is powered up and ready to use during Benji’s Folk set. Daniel should be allocated the fewest tasks on the day to ensure that proper time is taken over food safety and fire considerations, and Ava will take the greeting and liason role. Separating responsibilities thus will decrease decision and confusion time.
Production
Technology
Festival soundchecks are often run as linechecks ten minutes before an act goes on, with exceptions for big headliners and simpler lineups (McKay, 2015). As we have four acts, previously five, with a mix of acoustic and electronic input, we will be following a headliner + support soundcheck model with some adaptations. DJ Kham will use his own laptop with software and my CDJ decks, to be set up first through the venue PA as the final act of the night. While all venue and promoter equipment is PAT-tested, there are many connections here and something as little as a kettle lead or broken plug socket could affect the whole set and audience trust. It will also take some time to find the right bass tone for the electronic music, as the venue’s speakers are not catered towards heavy dance music and some promoters bring their own subwoofers. Having played at the Attic and spoken to the venue owner and sound engineer, I am confident in the monitoring and amplification there (Brown, D, 2025). This influenced our venue decision away from HEART and Hyde Park Book Club, where sound can boom and echo and technological workers are less regularly at the same venue.
Benji’s Folk requires delicate amplification and balancing of four vocal microphones as well as bass DI and sharp melodian tone, so the band will be checked second. As promoters, we are aware that technology can take longer than expected and force stage times back, and that singers or brass players are often kept on call for long periods when not required (Astralsound, 2026). We will, therefore, allow flexibility for the artists’ needs, and specify between arrival times and actual call times. These adjustments, if executed knowledgably and with clear communication, also help people with disabilities which mean they struggle with change or concept of time passing. Kaeya and Alex are providing their own equipment, as are the art stallholders, with exception of tables and chairs and power outlets, which are available at the venue. Lighting is done in-house and will use the fairy lights rather than strip lights for a cosier, less overstimulating environment, and the stage lights without flash or strobe until the final DJ set for epileptic and visually-impaired crowd members. All collaborators were asked for their technical specification and the information stored in the communications sheet so that individual adjustments like being sat away from speakers and using hearing loops are well documented.
Logistics
We will also help with travel. Part of the community ethos is locality and access by public transport, hence the original favouring of HEART. The Attic is a fifteen minute walk from Leeds train and bus stations, which are useful to the majority of collaborators (Google Maps, 2026). Bands and artists are often left to organise their own arrival and departure, which can result in last minute planning, disruption, and dependence on car ownership or Uber rides. This affects working class and disabled people most due to cost and ill-adapted transport services, not to mention the additional large or heavy equipment that some of our artists are bringing. Uber is also known for its manipulative power structures and underpayment of workers (Datta, S. et al, 2025). Therefore, as part of the onboarding process, we asked collaborators if they required travel support and stored their responses. Ava and I will take equipment on our first arrival in cars and allocate time before soundcheck to pick up collaborators, with priority given to those with walking or fatigue disabilities. While this is a great first step in reducing onus on artists to organise and provide transport, I regret that cars are still the fastest way around the city at certain times because of their negative environmental and social impact which is contrary to our values (Firstbus, 2026).
Hospitality
We recognise the importance of looking after artists’ bodily and mental needs during the event. Standard considerations would be beer, spirits and mixers, towels, food, charging facilities and secure instrument storage, as well as anything else negotiated from the artist’s specification (Beddoe, S., 2025). A liason or representative of the promoter with knowledge of the venue layout should be around to greet collaborators and act as an intermediary between them and the venue staff. The toilets at the Attic are gender neutral and there is a sheltered private smoking area, which should serve to decrease anxiety in our artists who require calm spaces, and are transgender, and therefore at greater risk in public toilets. The green room is behind a curtain but not locked, so our liason manager will position themself with view of the entrance at all times, or delegate this. We have also accounted for artists eating and will provide pancakes from the stand. In response to a generational, gendered, and religious difference in drinking habits, we feel that a case of lager would not be suitable and are instead opting to provide teas, juices, and soft drinks in accordance with what the artists have requested. These will be sourced locally at the Leeds Kirkgate Market in order to support independent sellers and reduce delivery costs. We wish to avoid investing in companies that promote abusive labour, avoid paying tax in the UK, or use excessive non-recycleable packaging becaue these have become a norm in the industry and are contrary to our rationale (Harrison, R., 2025). Being visible in the local community may also serve as a benefit when it comes to selling tickets and inciting trust in the principles of the event.
Marketing and Publicity
In line with the industry adaptation to hybrid advertising, we will be using a mix of digital and physical promotion. For Meta platforms (Instagram, Threads, Whatsapp and Facebook), their algorithm favours faces and personalities in fast-changing videos (PLMR, 2025).Colourful captions, tagging, hashtagging, and inputting metadata like image descriptions for the visually impaired can all contribute to a post’s visibility. There is also the option to sponsor a post, specifying audience reach and time promoted. Much like the billboards and poster columns in Leeds, there is a monopoly on advertising space, with high rates charged (Popart, 2025). Considering our audience target of 18-30-year-old regular eventgoers, there is likely to be a saturated feed of posters and rehearsal videos, contributing to overwhelm and digital fatigue. We will endeavour to cut through by following the algorithmic promotion of reels, with a touch of the personal, by filming Daniel with a chef’s hat and a large square in various locations across town and capturing public reaction. A memorable tagline of “Be there or be square” will induce curiosity and lead to the ticket link in each of the collaborators’ biographies. Each of the artists will also feature in a post describing their style and personality to give the audience more of an idea of the event, and demonstrate our variety in representation. To keep cost at face value and avoid booking and card fees, we have spoken to independent promoter of Notathing Events, Dan Akers, to list our gig on his site (Akers, D., 2026).
Considering this digital overwhelm, however, we will focus more time than usual on physical promotion and word of mouth techniques. The poster is artisically linocut and printed to stand out from the common graphic design, and will feature on poster boards in independent shops, gyms, galleries, accomodations and queer centres within a twenty minute walk or bus journey from the venue. This includes art student population centres such as Woodhouse and Little London, while Armley and Hunslet may prove more difficult in their industrial nature (Plumplot, 2024). I will use the tried and tested technique of showing face at gigs and raves, talking to as many people as possible on their way out or in the smoking area. This spiel is to include the significance of Shrove Tuesday and the viability of being in bed by midnight to account for weekday wakeups and lack of midweek party culture. Due to council byelaws, physical promotion is becoming more difficult as flyposting and leafletting charges apply in public space (Leeds City Council, 2015) People are also less likely to carry cash post-COVID. To add extra incentive, lino printed physical tickets will be available with a card reader in private spaces such as Leeds Conservatoire’s Café:Bar, and accessibility information will be clearly displayed. Transactions must be well catalogued, and cash carried in a secure container on a safe route home each day, with a float available in case customers have larger notes. Promotion relies on public sentiment, and I am concerned that the Cost of Living Crisis will hinder our ability to sell out the 200-capacity venue, so marketing must be thoughtful and determined (Leeds University, 2024).
Contingency Plans
Gigs come with innate risks where people gather and large technical equipment is used. Weather, artist burnout, crowd size or technical failure could disrupt the entire night. Given enough notice, deupties can be found or the lineup can be changed, but this must be duly advertised to avoid audience disappointment. In event of venue closure or severe weather preventing travel, there is the option to postpone the gig within the allocated timeframe, but this must be a last resort as it faces difficulties in co-ordinating complex performer, venue, and promoter calendars, and disruption in audience plans. We must be careful not to oversell capacity by tracking different streams of ticket purchase to avoid crowd crushing and overheating. On the other hand, too few tickets sold in advance could jeopardise our ability to cover costs and pay artists. Cultural economic failures and lack of certainty have lead to the cancellation of more gigs in recent times, with local promoter DJ Lubi increasingly struggling to sell advance tickets (Jovanovic, L., 2025). If this is the case for us, we will push advertising towards walk-ins, as our artists are on a non-guaranteed fee so we can afford to take this risk. Finally, we will keep a list of backup equipment and musically or FSA-qualified personell available within driving distance of the venue in case of failures.
Finance
The night was initially aimed at inviting younger locals to the co-operative HEART centre. This proved difficult due to hiring fees by the hour and the venue’s lack of experience and equipment for presenting amplified music. Perhaps these reasons contribute to the lack of intersectionality in clientelle and variety in events promoted by HEART and other community-focused centres. The Attic is further away from residential areas and younger customers are often lower waged, so we have kept the ticket price as low as possible at £5, advanced or on the door. Once people are in the door, there will be more options to spend money on the merhcandise table or the food stall. This gives customers more choices and removes the initial barrier of entry, allowing for a greater sentiment of enjoyment and willingness to contribute. This will be our only source of revenue, as independent promoter grants require early applications with lots of detail, which was not viable in this case (PRS Foundation, 2026). Expenditures include ingredients, art supplies, PRS, and artist payouts. In our aim toward equity, every artist, stallholder and promoter will be paid the same wage. We considered the benefits of a fundraiser, eventually concluding that the best way to support marginalised artists and the community is to provide accessible work, with as much profit as possible going to everybody involved. Ingredient costs will be kept to a minimum with bulk deals, and posters and tickets will be printed inhouse. PRS is unavoidable and will be 3.6% of the ticket revenue (PRS, 2026). The venue is licensed to play recorded music between sets, and DJs will be responsible for their own downloads and setlists. If 73 tickets are sold, we will break even before considering food and merchandise purchases. The finances hinge on the thorough promotion of the night.
Appendices
Technical Specification
Press Kit
Press Release
Artist Biographies
Crafters:
Alex (they/it) – “Bubbly creation with spirit”
Mila (they/them) – “Upcycling mending patchwork”
Ash (he/they) – “Illustrator, printmaker, wife guy, DnD enthusiast”
Melodie (he/him) – “A steampunk devoted to the arts”
Food:
Dan (he/him) – “Budding chef and pancake enthusiast”
Performers:
Alex Milling (he/him) – “Establishing himself in the North of England, Alex Izaak Milling (aged 22) has carved a unique corner into the thriving experimental improvised and DIY scene in Leeds. Specialising in electroacoustic composition, contemporary improvised music, sonic art and immersive exhibitions, Milling is constantly exploring the relationship of sonic architecture and the impact it has on the relationship between the ‘performer’ and ‘perceiver’. With a plethora of tools including electronics, vocals and guitar, Milling pushes the role of technology in improvised music and sonic art with the aim for complete synergy between equipment and artist.”
Kaeya (they/he) – “KAEYA is a whirlwind of folk-singing, drag-wearing and heart-breaking artistry; based in Leeds and working all around Yorkshire, their haunting blend of melancholy siren song and gut-punch narratives have captured all manner of audiences in their own colourful reverie. His career began as a one-time support slot for a friend, tucked away in a dimly-lit bar in Hull, but quickly snowballed into something bigger, better and infinitesimally brighter. Four years later, he has enraptured intimate venues and festival stages alike in his cocoon of warm guitar and lilting melody, forever to be followed by the memory of the stories sung. Epic tales of queerness, sickness and a profound exhaustion sit at the centre of KAEYA’s work. Every aspect of performance is tied together with a multi-hued drag-esque ribbon bow, and each spotlight to grace is another sparkling step towards a music industry changed by their delicate hands.
Benji’s Folk (they) – “A shifting ensemble for beloved melodies, protest chants, and foot-twitching ostinatos. To turn tears to laughter, together.”
DJ KHAM (he/him) – “I don’t have a bio.”
Artist HD Photographs
Risk Assessment
Additional Documents
References
Akers, D. (2026). Listing event [text]. Message sent to D. Akers (074…32). 11/1/26, 14:00
Astralsound (2026). Sound-check: The purpose and procedure of a sound-check before a live performance. Available online: https://www.astralsound.com/soundcheck.htm [Accessed 18/1/26]
Beddoe, S. (2025). WEEK5 – Production – 2025-26 [Presentation]. https://space.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=4464 [Accessed 11/11/25]
Brown, D. (2025). Setting up and maintaining an ethical venue [Interview]. 16 July 2025, 13:30.
Datta, S., Stein, J., Binns, R., Van Kleek, M., Shadbolt, N. Not even nice work if you can get it; A longitudinal study of Uber’s algorithmic pay and pricing. New York: https://doi.org/10.1145/3715275.3732099
Eisenhower (2026). Introducing the Eisenhower Matrix. Available online: https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/ [Accessed 18/1/26]
Harrison, R. (2025) Amazon’s substantial tax avoidance in the UK. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethical-campaigns-boycotts/amazon-uks-substantial-tax-avoidance [Accessed 16/1/26]
Firstbus (2026) Timetable 56. West Yorkshire. https://www.firstbus.co.uk/api/timetables/pdf?opco=14&service=56&day=mf&print=pdf [Accessed 8/1/26].
Google Maps (2026). The Attic, 3 Sheaf Street [Map], Satellite view. Available online: https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Attic/@53.7909921,-1.5488064,15.03z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x48795d8edda42835:0xa7152e2e4d353262!8m2!3d53.7912139!4d-1.5382867!16s%2Fg%2F11w2bfbtmt?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDExOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D [Accessed 4/1/26]
Karl, K. A., Peluchette, J. V., & Aghakhani, N. (2021). Virtual Work Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Good, Bad, and Ugly. Small Group Research, 53(3), 343-365. https://doi.org/10.1177/10464964211015286
Leeds City Council (2015) Leeds flyposting enforcement policy. https://www.scribd.com/document/64199713/leeds-flyposting [Accessed 15/1/26]
Leeds University (2024). Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change news. New report on gig workers released. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/research-ceric/news/article/1216/new-report-on-gig-workers-released [Accessed 16/1/26]
Jovanovic, L. (2025) DJ Lubi Jovanovic timeline [Instagram]. 12 November. https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ9uPX6iOYv/ [Accessed 13/11/25].
McKay G. (2015). The pop festival. New York (NY): Bloomsbury Academic.
PLMR (2025). Meta advertising’s algorithm changes: 5 lessons from 2025. Available online: https://plmr.co.uk/2025/06/meta-ads-algorithm-changes-2025/ [Accessed 18/1/26]
Plumplot (2024). Leeds population statistics. Available online: https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Leeds-population.html [Accessed 14/1/26]
Popart (2025). Affordable outdoor advertising in Leeds. https://popartmediagroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mediastack2025Augfordownload.pdf [Accessed 17/1/26]
PRS (2026). Earn royalties from live shows. https://www.prsformusic.com/royalties/report-live-performances [Accessed 9/1/26]
PRS Foundation (2026). Early career promoter fund. https://prsfoundation.com/funding-support/funding-for-industry-professionals/early-career-promoter-fund/#:~:text=Early%20Career%20Promoter%20Fund%20recognises,local%2C%20regional%20and%20national%20ecosystems. [Accessed 17/1/26]
Simpson, J. (2023) Deposit [Email]. Message sent to B.Arnold (trombonebenji@gmail.com). 11 September 2023, 19:19.
Solvang, P. K. (2026). Disability as a boundary object: combining inclusivity, value and therapy. Routledge.
Work & Pensions (2026). Personal Independence Payment. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/pip [Accessed 19/1/26]
Work & Pensions (2026). Universal Credit. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit [Accessed 19/1/26]
