Connect Conference 2024

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In October 2024 we brought together nearly 60 colleagues involved in delivering our newly expanded Connect programme. The day saw Music Hubs and funders from across the country come together to discuss the programme, learn from each other and share good practice. This follows the recent announcement that Connect will be supercharged by funding via the Department for Education’s Music Opportunities Pilot. This event marked a significant step in this next phase.  

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A space to reflect 

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The day began with welcomes from Programme Director and compere Neil Phillips and Chief Executive Hester Cockcroft who shared the story of the programme so far, how it’s evolved and what the key learning has been. They reflected on how, thanks to generous funding from Youth Music, Arts Council England, Trusts and Foundations and individual donors, the programme has grown significantly since it was first piloted in 2009.  

In 2014 there were 90 young musicians taking part in the programme across 3 Music Hubs. Fast forward to 2024 and we’re now working in partnership with 22 Hubs, with 1,000 young people participating. A full history can be found in our review of the last phase (2018 to 2023). 

We were also joined by Zoe Kilb, Head of Grants at Youth Music, who talked about their long-term investment in the programme and Belinda Lake from the Department for Education, who spoke about the Music Opportunities Pilot and their aspirations for  music education in the coming years.   

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A space to share 

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We wanted to make the most of having so many colleagues in the room and the day was built around topics suggested by Hub Leads during our Spring Strategy Group meeting. We intentionally allowed ample time to explore them in detail. The aim was to facilitate discussion without being overly prescriptive, encouraging conversations to flow naturally. Topics explored included: 

• Overcoming challenging geographies
• Engaging parents/carers
• High quality teaching

It was clear from the fantastic conversations taking place that people really valued the opportunity for proper discussion. This was an opportunity for new and existing Connectors and Hub Leads to meet each other, and to chat about how the programme is going in each area and how it might look in future.  

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A space to learn 

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Whilst many of the young people we support face the same challenges, the diversity of Hub models represents the diversity of the country in many ways. Some are county wide provisions covering huge geographical areas, whereas others are city based in regions with high levels of economic deprivation. Some Hubs employ a large cohort of peripatetic teachers whereas others employ their educators on a freelance or commissioning basis. Through working together we can analyse need, identify strategies and maximise the impact of the programme. 

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Final thoughts 

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We’re aware that a day away from the office can be a big ask of busy colleagues so our goal was to curate a day that made the most of the opportunity and provide something genuinely useful and inspiring for everyone. It was great to feel such positivity and enthusiasm for the programme from our fantastic colleagues. We’ll be using the key learning points to shape and develop the programme over the coming years.