The conference will take place on 3 July at The Stoller Hall, Manchester, and will also be live streamed for ticket-holders who cannot attend in person. Virtual attendees will be able to contribute to the discussion through the interactive chat function on the Vimeo live stream. Those who work in the music or education industries are invited to attend.
Hosted by Chetham’s School of Music, the conference aims to discuss issues that will shape the future of the music industry. Expert speakers and panellists – including musicians, venue managers, industry leaders and educators – will add to the discourse.
The conference includes:
- Manchester as a musical city: a case study of Manchester in music education and a collaborative discussion surrounding the future of the city's music industry. Professor Linda Merrick (principal at the Royal Northern College of Music), Simon Webb (director of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra), Anna Hirst (head of planning at Hallé), Carolyn Baxendale (MBE, head of Bolton Music Service), Tom Redmond (joint principal and director of music at Chetham) and Bob Riley (CEO of Manchester Camerata) will lead this segment.
- Collaboration: a conversation asking what COVID-19 has taught us about collaboration, with Emma Cunliffe (Chetham’s outreach programme manager) and Dr John Wm Stephens (CEO of Brighter Futures Education Trust and chair of the GM Hun Leadership Group).
- Young musicians: Panellists including Sarah Alexander (OBE, chief executive and artistic director of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain), Catherine Arlidge (MBE, artistic and educational director of NCO) and Tom Redmond (director of Music and artistic director of Chetham’s School of Music) discuss the impact of the past year on the future of youth music making.
- Manchester Music students: young musicians have their say and speak about their experiences.
- A creative approach to ensemble development: a session hosted by award-winning tuba player and educator Ryan Breen. This segment will explore a range of practical methods to provoke musical development through ensemble work, tackling improvisation, semantics and Dalcroze, among other areas.
The in-person elements of the event will operate with social distancing. Tickets for the conference (virtual and in-person) are £20 and can be found on their website.
