UTA has announced the launch of a new curated live series, Hear This, in the UK to showcase emerging artists on its roster.

The inaugural event, which will take place at The Grace in London on Tuesday 10 May, will focus on R&B and soul, with performances by Claudia Valentina, Menlia and Tolü Makay for an audience of carefully selected industry figures and new music fans.

The series is designed to provide early amplification for hotly-tipped acts in the early stages of their careers. Future events, set to take place every three months, will continue to spotlight the most vibrant emerging talent, genres and cultures surrounding the international agency’s London operations.

“The true strength of an agency is measured equally by its ability to develop new talent, as it is in elevating established acts”

“The true strength of an agency is measured equally by its ability to develop new talent, as it is in elevating established acts,” says Rebecca Prochnik, UTA’s director of growth and strategy for UK Music. “The more we proactively cultivate spaces for showcasing the artists, scenes and cultures that we’re most excited about, and the more we work on bringing game-changing opportunities to the table, the better equipped our new artists are for success.”

Tickets for Hear This are priced at £6 plus booking fees. Industry figures are invited to reach out to UTA with guest list requests, although availability is limited.

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UK-based promoter and venue operator DHP Family is launching the Grace, a new late night music venue in Islington, north London.

The 150-capacity venue is the latest addition to the DHP Family portfolio, which includes London venues the Garage (600-capacity) and Oslo (375-capacity), as well as award-winning boat venue Thekla (400-cap.) in Bristol.

Opening today (Friday 13 September) with music by DJs from Soho record store Sister Ray Records, upcoming shows at the venue include country singer Lauren Jenkins, Manchester bands Ist Ist Ist and the Covasettes and neo-soul singer Ben Brown.

Housed in what originally opened as Upstairs at the Garage, the space has already hosted acts including Jeff Buckley, the Killers, Sheryl Crow, Mogwai and Grimes.

“Here at the Grace, we had the perfect opportunity to combine our bar and live music space”

“London is well known for its live music pubs which are institutions in their own right,” comments DHP Family owner George Akins.

“Here at the Grace, we had the perfect opportunity to combine our bar and live music space to create an atmospheric space that can function equally well for after-work drinks or post-gig partying.”

The Grace will open from 5 p.m. each day, closing at 2 a.m. Monday to Thursday and at 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The venue will not open on Sundays.

The venue is situated opposite Highbury and Islington tube station. More information can be found here.

In addition to its venue portfolio, Nottingham-based DHP Family runs the 25,000-capacity Splendour festival in Nottingham and multi-venue festival Dot to Dot in several cities. DHP also puts on 1,500 gigs per year, promoting tours by Ed Sheeran, the War on Drugs, Enter Shikari and more.

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