MANCHESTER
Lucy Barker
Event Manager / Host
Manchester born and bred, Lucy has bounced around the Northern creative scene for the best part of the last decade.
As an actress, teacher and poet, she has dedicated herself to projects and organisations that bring people together to express themselves through the performing and visual arts.
Lucy is also an advocate for invisible disability awareness, after an undiagnosed chronic illness led to an extended spell in hospital during the summer of 2019.
Lucy leads her life believing that strength is found in adversity and that creativity is a potent tool anyone can access to deal with trauma.
Matt Concannon
Event Manager
Matt Concannon otherwise known as The Thirsty Poet is a Salford born hero, actor, singer and Spoken word artist.
As an actor he has appeared in the Coronation Street (ITV), Girl On The Train (UK tour and West End) to name a few.
When not journeying the country acting he takes others on journeys with words, teaching performing and writing Spokenword poetry, often focusing on Mental health as a topic.
He’s been featured on BBC radio and has collaborated with companies across Manchester and further a field including FEEL GOOD CLUB, BLOSSOM Mcr, SO LETS TALK, TINY REBEL & JOSEPH HOLTS pubs, writing bespoke pieces for their businesses.
Matt set up The Thirsty Poet a mobile coffee van during the early stages of lockdown as a way to combine his passion for Poetry and coffee. He believes Connection is what keeps us alive, so setting up a coffee van with a side of storytelling was a project he needed to do. Everyone has a story and everyone’s stories need to be told.
‘I’m buzzing to be joining the Mind Over Matter family and building something spectacular in Manchester’