Mayor Andy Burnham commits to Greater Manchester Music Board

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has committed to introducing a Music Board for the region following the recommendations of UK Music’s Greater Manchester Music Review 2019.

The UK Music Greater Manchester Music review was launched on Friday 19 July by Mayor Andy Burnham and UK Music’s CEO Michael Dugher alongside a panel of local industry experts at Sound City Manchester, part of the “Distractions” strand of the Manchester International Festival.

Speaking at the launch event, Mayor Andy Burnham announced that as part of his manifesto he is committing to launching a Music Board for Greater Manchester and highlighted the city’s impressive musical heritage, stressing the importance of cultivating future talent.

UK Music has already helped establish Music Boards in London, as well as the Sheffield and Liverpool City Regions. A Music Board would ensure co-ordination over strategy to support the music industry and venues, nurture future talent and act as a focal point to boost growth and jobs in the sector. In the Greater Manchester Music Review, UK Music recommends that representatives from local authorities in key areas such as planning, the police, licensing and cultural development are represented on the Board.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said in his speech on Friday: “The commitment I will make today, and I will make it in my manifesto, is to implement recommendation number one which is to establish a Music Board for Greater Manchester.

I want to use the next few months to talk to all of you so that the Music Board does reflect the full diversity of musical talent in Greater Manchester.”

UK Music CEO Michael Dugher said: “It’s great that Mayor Andy Burnham is immediately backing our call for a Music Board in Greater Manchester, one of the key recommendations from our review.

“This will get all the right people around the same table and, as he told our launch, it will be the body tasked with delivering the ambition we share with the Mayor to promote, protect and grow the music scene in the future.”

In summer 2018, UK Music was commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority to produce an independent review of the music sector across the Greater Manchester, understanding the successes and challenges for both artists and music audiences.

In 2017, the live music audience of Greater Manchester accounted for 1.9 million attendees, generating £169 million in music tourism for the region, with Greater Manchester’s music tourists representing 5.4 per cent of all music tourists nationally

The independent review was co-chaired by BPI and Brits Chair (and former Sony Music CEO), Ged Doherty, Crisis Management Director, Karen Boardman, and Inspiral Carpets legend, Martyn Walsh.

The report lays out 10 recommendations, which have been informed by extensive consultation including three roundtables involving key music representatives from across Greater Manchester, as well as two public surveys:

1. Setting up a new Music Board
2. Establishing a Talent Pipeline Fund
3. Establishing a Global Music city-region
4. Protecting grassroots venues through Agent of Change
5. Incentivise businesses with discounted eates
6. Coordinate music education services
7. Opportunities for emerging srtists
8. Inclusive networking
9. Reaching out to every corner of the city-region
10. Integrating transport

Greater Manchester Combined Authority will now work with UK Music, and the music industry to take forward the recommendations that will support, strengthen and grow Greater Manchester’s music scene, for both artists, and audiences.