It is sometimes called Britain's newspaper of record, but The Times is increasingly noted for its vendetta campaigns against minorities.

Katherine O'Donnell is a former employee who is fighting back against the bullying and discrimination she faced as a transgender woman working as the Night Editor of the newspaper's Scottish edition.

She took her experience to an employment tribunal this summer. Her remarkable legal case sheds light not only on a transphobic and misogynistic workplace environment, but how its effects can be seen in
the newspaper's coverage of transgender people.

Her case also shows how the editor John Witherow's prehistoric attitudes extended to pushing top reporters into publishing flawed stories about Muslims.

Join us to hear more about Katherine's experience and the potential for media workers to blow the whistle on bullying and bigoted coverage.

SPEAKERS

Katherine O'Donnell - Journalist and LGBTI rights campaigner
Christine Burns MBE - Author, editor of 'Trans Britain'
Robin White - Discrimination barrister

Chair: Tom Wills

Chair: Anita McNaught
Charlotte Duncann
Steffi Bednarek
Araceli Camargo
Franny Armstrong

Jonathan Heawood, IMPRESS

Paul Hutchinson, Bedford Independent

Sarah Cheverton, Star & Crescent

Vanessa Baird, New Internationalist

David Floyd, Social Spider

In association with IMPRESS

Mabbs is one half of Rudeboy Productions and is back for his 2nd Byline. Expect to hear a mix of funk, hip hop, afrobeat, reggae and electronic.

Carrieann is an original and unique Artist with an eclectic mix of songs. An edgy Rock singer with some smooth and emotive dreamy edges to her tunes. She has released an Album called ‘ Hands Of Eternity ‘ with some enigmatic and moving tracks.

Jez Hellard is a singer of potent songs, fine guitarist and simply stunning harmonica player. His band, The Djukella Orchestra, play traditional and contemporary folk music, from jigs, reels and rebel ballads to tango, rhumba and reggae, and pretty much anything in between. Featuring Nye Parsons, one of the most captivating double-bassists you're likely to hear, and some of the finest instrumentalists on the British folk scene, their blend of virtuoso musicianship, witty political comment and a deep repertoire of powerful songs never fails to turn heads.

In the past decade Jez and various djukellas have played well over a thousand gigs; from Glastonbury Festival to the North Country Fair, New York to Taipei, Union Chapel to Extinction Rebellion.

“Ridiculously enjoyable... an unequivocal thumbs up.” Folk Radio UK

“It’s heartening to hear such thoughtful yet deeply felt songs, given the times we live in now. To hear them so well sung, so adroitly arranged and brilliantly performed is a joy.” Songlines

“Beautifully crafted and stunningly delivered... a staggering jigsaw of musical invention and a sonorous voice that drags you into every song.” Folking.com

“Jez Hellard epitomises the hardcore troubadour” R2

"Jez demonstrated that playing harmonica is a full body experience.. With fans across 3 continents, it’s easy to see and hear what all the hullaballoo’s about." Earshot Magazine,

Angharad is a non-binary ‘anti-folk’ performer. They pride themself on complex lyrics and strong hooks. 

Life mottos: ‘Everything Is Complicated’, ‘No heroes, no gods, no princes’ ‘The only stories worth telling are the ones you haven’t heard’.

Angharad was born in and went to primary school in Croydon, grew up & went to comp in Swansea, before studying English Literature at UCL and Medieval Welsh at Cambridge. 

They have been writing lyrics since childhood, and have been trying to avoid writing anything in prose about themself since they started showing people

Deep Fakes - the latest threat to democracy?

The 2016 US election was defined by Fake News, Facebook dark ads, the Cambridge Analytica scandal & Russian interference. Will the 2020 election be defined by Deep Fakes? Or is their efficacy as a propaganda tool being overhyped? Gerry & Paul investigate the phenomenon in their typical darkly comic style.

Misha Glenny

Phishing - A Hands on interactive Hacking Demo

With Brian Cathcart and Paddy French with an audio visual double act

Professor Gina Rippon is an international researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience based at the Aston Brain Centre at Aston University in Birmingham. Her research involves the use of state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques to investigate developmental disorders such as autism. She is a regular contributor to events such as the British Science Festival, New Scientist Live and the Sceptics in the Pub series. In 2015 she was made an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association for her contributions to the public communication of science. She is also an advocate for initiatives to help overcome the under-representation of women in STEM subjects. As part of a European Union Gender Equality Network, she has addressed conferences all over the world. She belongs to WISE and ScienceGrrl, and is a member of Robert Peston’s Speakers4Schools programme and the Inspiring the Future initiative.

The Gendered Brain is her first book for the general reader and is described by the Guardian as a “brilliant debunking of the notion of a ‘female brain’ could do more for gender equality than any number of feminist manifestos”.

Chair of Anita MacNaught

Levels of inequality in the UK are globally and unsustainably high. Control of land is increasingly concentrated in the hands of an untouchable and unaccountable elite. The climate crisis is going to exacerbate these tensions. 500 years ago, this might have prompted a revolution. Instead climate collapse could be that revolution. Can the countries land and property owners continue to shut out the poor and the dispossessed when they are also hungry and thirsty?

Guy Shrubsole

Author of Who Owns Britain? and Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, Guy has also written for numerous publications including the Guardian and New Statesman.

Prof Ian Hodge

Professor of Rural Economy at the University of Cambridge and and past President of the Agricultural Economics Society.

Antonia Layard

Come and Sing with us!

Check out the groovy South London Choir led by the dynamic American composer and entertainer, MJ Paranzino..

This year’s theme is Musicals; from past old favourites to the new wave of ideas embracing the influence of England and beyond. If you would like to participate at rehearsal to join MJ’s GREAT BIG CHOIR, sign up and register with your contact details as you check in or just jump in on the day spontaneously when you see the time slot.

Just show up and sing!

Chaired by Anita McNaught

Britain imports nearly 70% of it’s food. As all the farming systems of the world are damaged irrevocably by climate collapse, Britain is going to have to fall back on its own resources. But look what this country is facing; drought, over-population, an exhausted topsoil in many of our principle agricultural regions and large-scale, oil-based farming methods, that are unsustainable by any reckoning. How and what can we grow to feed our population? Is more, or less intensive farming the answer? Are livestock the problem or part of the solution?

Stuart Roberts

Vice-President of the National Farmers Union, Stuart is a third generation arable and livestock farmer who has also worked for Defra and the Food Standards Agency.

Colin Tudge

Biologist, Broadcaster and Author of books such as The Secret Life of Trees, Colin has now also co-founded the Campaign for Real Farming.

Josiah Meldrum

Co-founder and Director of Hodmedods, a British beans supplier.

John Lynch

is an environmental scientist at the University of Oxford. His work focuses the climate impacts of agriculture, especially livestock production, including new ways of thinking about and reporting agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. He is also interested in the wider implications of what a more sustainable food system might look like, and how to get there

Ed Statham
Hannah Williams
Lauren Kosky
Molly Cooke
Natalie Little
Catherin Drummond

A British musician who is a founder, keyboard player and primary songwriter of the Coventry, England, based ska revival band The Specials, The Special A.K.A. and The Spatial AKA Orchestra. He also founded 2 Tone Records. In November 2006, Dammers was awarded an honorary degree from Coventry University, celebrating by DJing at the launch party of the Coventry branch of the Love Music Hate Racism organisation. In the same month, he attended a private viewing of a Harry Pye curated art exhibition in east London that featured paintings of bands and singers that had once been championed by the late BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel. Dammers read out a four-page poem, in which he thanked Peel for helping his own band, and for supporting black musicians.

Izzie Yardley is an alternative folk artist based in London. The music is mesmerising - honest, poetic songs of life, death, humanity. Similarities have been traced to the likes of Feist, Laura Marling but with influences including Nick Drake, Etta James and Frank Zappa the blend of folk/jazz/soul is truly unique.
In a short time she has a earned impressive performance experience including playing Union Chapel with the highly celebrated ‘Letters Live’ and supporting Ethan Johns. Garnering interest from industry and musicians alike, this is just the start for Izzie.

Frankie Forman is returning to Byline Festival with her latest venture, Cairo Moon. Her vocal tones are often compared to Lana Del Rey and Mazzy Star. With her musical influences being the likes of Billie Holliday, Bob Dylan, PJ Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Nina Simone, Massive Attack, Tom Waits and Portishead, Frankie’s sound marks the dark place where Trip Hop, Soul and Bluesy Rock n Roll meet.

Frankie’s new project, Cairo Moon, is a more lighthearted chapter in her musical career. Formed with her friend Jack O Shea from The Vex, their sound is a stormy tribe of vintage spirits, melting a potion of 60’s Soul and ethereal Rock.

Performing at festivals such as Isle of Wight, Camp Bestival, Blissfields, Leefest, Danny Boyle's shuffle festival and Boomtown to astounding reception, Frankie Forman has truly left her mark on the music scene. Make sure you get down to the Future Dome to see her latest musical venture.

Will Purdue is a singer - songwriter influenced by all the great sad young men, such as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young. His music is an introspective throwback to the 1960's, with the lyrics and melodies taking centre stage.

If we turn on the news, open a newspaper, look online we are constantly reminded of the issues facing society in the UK. However, more often than not, we aren’t hearing about them from the experts who have experienced them.  There are people in our communities who are full of insights and ideas for solutions to create lasting change.  But are they being listened to? Are their voices being heard?

Being the Story www.beingthestory.org.uk is an immersive storytelling experience to inspire new ideas, challenge perceptions, and stimulate conversation on the big social issues. Being the Story provides a platform for people who don’t normally have one, to share their story and ideas in front of a live audience.  In the long term Being the Story aims to diversify the voices we hear in the media by nurturing and supporting these new voices and working with them beyond the event to be media savvy spokespeople.  Being the Story at Byline Festival will feature the thought-provoking insights of extraordinary individuals whose stories need to be heard. 

Taking the stage this evening will include:

Simeon Moore Co-founder of DatsTV

Simeon is a writer, musician and advocate for young people. He was a member of a notorious Birmingham gang and now works to tackle what he sees as the glamorisation of gang culture, which gives young people aspirations to live negatively. He brings vision, creativity and influence to positively impact on their lives. @zimbosla www.youtube.com/datstv

 Travon Steadman

Travon works with Drive Forward Foundation, a charity that supports care-experienced young people into employment, He is a strong believer in the power of lived experience to drive change and progress; highlighting the struggles young people face under government protection @steadmantravon

 Bryony Albery

Bryony was a frontline worker supporting rough sleepers now retraining as a social justice lawyer to ensure our most vulnerable get access to justice.  @bryonyAlbery

 Anne-Marie Douglas  Founder Peer Power

Anne-Marie's belief in empathy and personal experience of peer led services led her to found the charity Peer Power in 2015. The empathy led charity works with children, teenagers and young adults who have experienced significant trauma and adversity. It aims to improve the wellbeing and career prospects for young people involved, and to support them to disrupt, influence and improve the services that support them.

 Steve Arnott Aka Redeye Feenix Hull Beats Bus Founder

Hull resident Steve Arnott was a struggling warehouse worker by day and hip-hop performer by night. After a chance encounter with award-winning documentary maker Sean McAllister, Steve was asked to get involved in a film Sean was making: A Northern Soul. He now runs the Hull Beats Bus, a social enterprise mobile recording studio committed to building confidence and giving young people the space to be creative through music and art workshops.

Femi Oluwule

Geraint Davies MP

Adam Ramsay

Music by Madeleina Kay

Luke Harding

Misha Glenny

CHAIRED by Sana Safi

CHAIRED by OTTO ENGLISH

Mike Stuchbery

Dr Louise Raw is a writer, broadcaster, historian and activist.

Caolan Robertson

Chair - Maggie Murphy, Lewes FC Women’s new General Manager

Suzy Wrack, women’s football journalist

Claire Rafferty, commentator & former player, was a hugely experienced defender in the WSL, having recently just retired from West Ham United. She is Chelsea’s longest-serving player and has played at the World Cup and Olympic Games for England and Team GB respectively.

Outside of football, Claire has an economics degree from Loughborough University and alongside her playing career held down a part-time job as a financial analyst for Deutsche Bank from 2012. Having recently retired at the end of last season, Claire has taken up her new role of Partnership Sales Manager at former home club Chelsea FC.

CHAIR: Taniel Yusef

With Laura Nolan and Liz O’Sullivan

Stephen Dennis Smith (born 5 July 1959, East London, England), is a British musician, one of the founding members of Levi and the Rockats rockabilly punk band, from Los Angeles, California, United States, discovered by Leee Black Childers, tour manager of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and The Stooges. He appeared on the Rolling Stones’ book of the most influential people in pop history. Currently Smutty is based in Iceland where he works as a DJ.

EBSON is an exciting talent emerging from the thriving London music scene, drawing on deep rooted soul sensibilities that resonate through blues infused vocals and a fearless engagement to grand themes of power, struggle and the journey of realisation.

An ear for multi-layered arrangements and the insight of a storyteller, EBSON takes inspiration from the world around him, combining to create a distinctive sound that is as much a product of the environment we live in as it is the personal experiences and insights of one man.

"Powerful and spine-tingly soulful, it's hard not to be moved by the gravity of feeling behind his voice." WONDERLAND MAGAZINE

"A rising phoenix bringing order to the streets." THE 405