Award-winning festival and non-profit talent development organisation OneFest, and key leader of the British jazz vanguard, Shabaka Hutchings, have announced a unique panel discussion will take place at EartH, during the daytime programme of the London leg of the ‘Twin city festival’ on 14th March 2020.

With the panel, titled ‘Mental health in Music Vs Horse racing – Let’s keep the conversation going’, OneFest aims to look at what we can learn from the two industries that never usually intersect.

The session will be chaired by chaired by journalist and author John Robb, who will lead a lively discussion with panellists SK Shlomo (Artist), Jack Williamson (Music & You), Michael Caulfield (Racing Psychologist), Chris McCourt (Warner Records), Joe Hastings (Help Musicians), OneFest’s own Shabaka Hutchings and Sandra Bhatia, plus a Jockey and more TBA.

The former winner of AIM ‘Best Independent Festival’, and one of the original, pioneering ‘social conscience’ festivals, OneFest follows the hugely acclaimed ‘Lost Evenings with Frank Turner’ in 2017 at London’s Roundhouse with a unique ‘twin festival’ day and night concept for 2020.

Taking place in Sheffield‘s Leadmill on 7th March and London’s EartH on 14th March, OneFest sees Mercury Prize nominee Shabaka Hutchings (Sons of Kemet, The Comet is Coming) carefully curate an ambitious line-up with OneFest masterminds and co-founders Sandra Bhatia and Stephen Budd.

The discussion will take a look at the parallels and pressures from the music and racing industries and what insights and learnings can be taken from the horse racing industry, which is much older than the music industry and has developed a watertight support system to support the mental health of its talent.

OneFest panellist and artist SK Shlomo said “Mental health affects everyone, but as performing artists we’re especially at risk. I’ve had my share of rough times and feel lucky to have survived. Talking more and training young performers in the practise of self care is vital so we can prevent these problems from growing in the first place, and stop the loss of yet more of our creative friends like Keith Flint, Avicii and so many more.”

OneFest panellist and racing psychologist Michael Caulfield said “What do sport and music have in common? The answer is everything, as they both involve performance, travel, practice, being judged, success, failure, triumph, humiliation, joy, heartbreak, hope, despair, but they are both absolutely beautiful.  More often, the performers wear a mask, as both disciplines demand the performers often to be faultless, which is impossible.  I am really looking forward to racing and music meeting head on at OneFest.”