Speakers

A longtime advocate of all-ages and DIY music, Jason Clackley is a youth mentor and recording and touring artist. Born and raised in Hawaii, he spent his teenage years in Bremerton, Washington before moving to Seattle. Once relocating to the city, he joined a rag-tag group of punks doing house shows in the U-District. Since then, he's helped run many all-ages programs and DIY spaces, including Fusion Cafe at the Downtown YMCA, Black Lodge, and Ground Zero's Music Program.

Outside of music and art, Clackley also has an extensive background in social services, working with neurodiverse youth through Seattle Public Schools, houseless folx at DESC, and in counseling with Ryther Child Center. He continues this youth mentorship and social work in our creative community today as the artistic director of The Vera Project. Clackley plans to continue building pathways into the industry and more equitable opportunities in music and arts for generations to come.