A fast-growing multi-media movement born out of a critically-acclaimed concept album by an East Staffordshire band is set to host its first "festival of music and ideas".

Rock band Star from Ivy will headline the show at the National Brewery Centre, in their native Burton, on a mouth-watering bill which also features singer-songwriters Andy Crowe and Emma Buckley.

Alongside the music, live podcasts - including discussions with author and journalist Sarah Lay - will be broadcast from the Horninglow Street venue on Friday, June 22.

All profits will go to mental health charity MIND - and will be doubled by Circularity supporter and utilities giant Utility Warehouse.

Star From Ivy front man Chris Baldwin, who co-founded the Circularity movement, explained what it was all about.

He said: "The online community Circularity grew out of the album, which was released in 2015. Each song on the album links to an area of modern life and was available as 'open source', meaning anyone could take the music and re-mix or re-use it in their own creative projects rights-free.

"Far from being a marketing ploy – and taking in themes from mental health to sustainable living, from the expanse of our universe to finding happiness – Circularity developed from its musical beginnings into a podcast, an online sharing and learning resource and a vibrant community.

"I’m just blown away by the growing support for our project. People are taking our seed of an idea and are growing and cultivating their own amazing concepts for change. I’m very excited for the future, and I hope people invest their time in coming to our first event."

David Edwards, manager of the National Brewery Centre, said: "As a local venue we feel very proud and privileged to be supporting such an important event.

"The Circularity project and its message will impact people in different ways, it has so many branches and that’s what struck a chord with me; the opportunity to help plant a seed of change but let people grow it for themselves."

Early bird tickets for the festival are available for £7 online at https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Derby/The-National-Brewery-Centre/Circularity-Festival-1/13182669/

More about the other musicians performing at Circularity Festival

Burton musician Andy Crowe with guitarist Dan Baker (right)
Burton musician Andy Crowe with guitarist Dan Baker (right)

Andy Crowe is a songwriter from Burton and former front man of rock and roll bands Swift Flasby and Exile84. He started a solo project in 2016, with the plan to record a solo acoustic album.

Work began on getting an EP recorded with producer Dan Gallagher. Early into the project the realisation that the songs could become something a lot bigger than first anticipated hit home.

This got them thinking they could get session musicians in and give it a real full band feel. With Dan taking up bass, lead guitarist Dan Baker and drummer Huw Griffiths joined the project and the band Andy Crowe & The Eisen Brothers was formed.

The first EP, named Session One, was recorded in September 2016 at Fox Den Studios in Sheffield and consisted of three tracks - Walking Man, Hot Princess and Back In My Arms.

Early 2017 was then spent gigging as much as possible, both acoustically solo and with the band. During this period, a lot of time was spent working on new tracks to be recorded later in the year.

In May 2017 the band headed back up to Fox Den Studios to continue work on the album and recorded three more tracks - Turned me Around, Took This Heart and Let Your Eyes See. 2018 started with a single and video release of Turned Me Around in March.

Emma Buckley is a singer-songwriter whose work has featured on national news and radio, including BBC Introducing for London and the East Midlands.

Born in Derby and raised on a staple diet of James Taylor, Bob Dylan, and Bonnie Raitt, Emma has honed and mastered a writing style that carries the depth and experience of a soul much older and wiser than her own.

Her debut solo EP, Don’t Tell Me, is a collection of perfectly-crafted and very mature acoustic pop songs, with earworm choruses and stunning lyrics.

Whilst studying at Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, she wrote with and fronted pop-indie-rock band Ruby Sky - and much of this style has carried into her solo work.

Following her success in Nashville’s Bluebird to Bluecoat songwriting competition, she continued to amaze audiences on her UK headline tour with Sweden’s Charlotte Eriksson and went on to support folk-pop artist Lucy Spraggan.

Others spend hours on production to come up with their respective masterpieces, but Emma just picks up her guitar, sings with that haunting, soulful voice and we are directly transported to her world.