More than 140 delegates and thousands of music fans descended on the Portuguese city of Guimarães last week for the tenth edition of boutique conference and showcase event, Westway LAB.

The brainchild of music industry stalwarts Nuno Saraiva (conference director) and Rui Torrinha (festival director), the four-day event has attracted a loyal following over its first decade, thanks to a mix of informative workshops, seminars and panel sessions for the professional contingent, and a live music programme that involves artist residencies and collaborations that yield unique performances for those attending the showcase elements.

Delegates from around the world made their way to the city’s Centro Cultural Vila Flor for a series of debates and discussions that included such topics as Cooperation Strategies Between Export Offices; Promoting Positive Mental Health in the Music Industry; Sustainability; and What Lies Ahead for European Showcase Festivals. A series of artist talks, hosted in historic Guimarães venues, also allowed delegates to speak directly with musicians.

“It was a total expression of vitality of the music sector after some years of a serious backlash”

During the conference, acclaimed film director Rodrigio Areias delivered a keynote address about his relationship with music and film; Saraiva interviewed veteran record industry exec Kees van Weijen for another keynote session; while IQ editor Gordon Masson closed the conference proceedings by quizzing newly appointed Primavera Sound Madrid director Almudena Heredero about her career path, the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated business, and her hopes for the Primavera brand both in the Spanish capital and around the world.

On the showcase side of Westway LAB, the event hosted a special creation project by Edgarbeck which premiered as the festival’s opening concert, among 22 gigs in total. There were four artistic residencies, which were presented as showcases, while 2,200 fans bought tickets for the festival element of the event. Westaway also ran an innovative artistic market where record labels, vinyl sellers, illustrators and musicians were able to sell their merchandise.

The live music programme allowed a number of domestic Portuguese acts to showcase their talent, while musicians from Poland, Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Brazil, and Germany also benefitted from the exposure.

Festival director Torrinha says, “This tenth edition was a huge celebration of the power of creation through music: a total expression of vitality of the music sector after some years of a serious backlash.

“We had the luck to bring together, again, many amazing professionals and very talented artists that formed a special community for four days in Guimarães.”

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Westway Lab, Portugal’s first showcase festival and music conference, has announced the return of its artist residency programme, which welcomes eight artists to work together and showcase material on the 10 and 11 April.

The sixth edition of Westway Lab takes place in Guimarães, Portugal from 10 to 13 April, combining artist residencies, professional conferences and showcases.

This year, the festival hosts Portuguese musicians Beatriz Nunes and João Pascoal of the Happy Mess, Lince (Sofia Ribeiro) and Captain Boy (Pedro Ribeiro). Other residencies are taken by Venezuelan singer Yosune, Italian singer-songwriter Violetta Zironi, indie-pop Austro-Slovakian duo Mickey and the Canadian pop-rock band Tribe Royal.

The festival and conference has also announced Canada as its spotlight country. The Canadian representation will be folk focused with singer-songwriters Sarah MacDougall and Megan Nash, along with folk trio the East Pointers. Music by duo Les Deuxluxes and Tribe Royal will have more of a rock focus.

“[Westway Lab is] a powerful world of possibility on a human scale”

Westway Lab again hosts the Why Portugal event organised by the Portuguese music export office, featuring local artists Neev, Marta Pereira da Costa and Vaarwell. The Portuguese Independent Music Trade Association brings Europe in Synch to the conference, a programme focusing on the training of young music professionals actively involved in sync licensing.

The festival is a member of the the European Talent Exchange Programme (ETEP), which promotes European musicians across the world, and showcase festival association the Innovation Network of European Showcases (INES).

Rui Torrinha, artistic director of the festival describes Westway LAB as “a powerful world of possibility on a human scale”, outlining the consistent “quality” of the artists who have participated in the festival over the years.

A full conference programme and registration for this year’s Westway Lab are available here.

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