South West Music Forum
We are delighted to publish the Working Version of the South West Music Forum Strategy March to July 2010: Unlocking Potential
Download the strategy here
This is an open strategy. We will work throughout the the latter part of 2010 to build on all we set out here in order to create a 3-year business plan for music development across the South West of England.
Download the report on our Music To Market survey here
160 music businesses and musicians took the survey.
We are now running a new version of the ‘Music To Market’ survey which will stay open into 2011.
If you are a Musician / Composer / Educator Click here to take survey
If you are a Business / Freelancer / Employee Click here to take survey
Get involved. Get in touch. We need your input. The strategy is now open until the end of October 2010. An initial report will be published at Music South West 2010 at the end of November. We need to hear from you. In order for this to be representative process we have created a survey to hear your feedback on the Strategy so far. Click here to have your say and take the short questionnaire online now.
The strategy is being developed in line with UK Music’s Liberating Creativity manifesto which is currently being developed around the changes being brought in by the new government and the October spending review. The BMF will be focusing on this through being part of UK Music’s Leadership Development Network to April 2011.
This strategy focuses on music development in the South West of England, and the status and work of the regional music forums and the South West Music Forum (SWMF). It aims to demonstrate how the local music forums can develop their work both individually and collectively to support the music industry in the South West. It aims to present a potential platform for collaborative working in music across the South West between business, public sector and education and offer sustainable links to the commercial music industry. The link to regional and national non-government, government and public sector strategy and policy will also be captured. It will endeavour to set out a vision for a new industry-led regional development organisation for musicians and music businesses that will support the SWMF and regional forums, and in turn provide sustainable paths to industry and artistic excellence for grassroots music in the region.
New regional Website
With European Union funding via GWE Business West and UK Trade & Investment the BMF will be building a new website for 2010.
The website will be an online platform for the music community in the South West, powered by Musicosity, that will provide member profile facilities for all music practitioners at all levels working in the region with open source functionality that will allow the creation of groups, networks and private member’s areas.
The website will contain toolkits on all aspects of the music industry, and on regional music support programmes such as international funding and trade missions, CPD and using digital networks. The toolkits will link directly to a new series of training courses and events currently being developed by the BMF. The website will have a region-wide focus, be steered by the SWMF, and will link to and directly support the activity of all regional music forums.
It will be promoted to a national and international market place via new and existing partnerships, attendance at events, and direct marketing. Advanced online analytics will be made available to all members.
Click here for further details.
SWMF
The South West Music Forum (SWMF) is the network of music forums across the region.
SWMF connects and shares ideas between music practitioners via sub-regional music forums in Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Bristol, Exeter, and Cornwall, Plymouth, North Devon and Swindon and provides a point of access into, and out of, the region to connect with the national and international music industry. A forum is in development in Wiltshire.
SWMF aims to raise the national and international profile and profitability of the music industry in the South West.
SWMF provides members with a joined-up approach to projects across the region to avoid duplication or repetition, and offers an accessible network for music practitioners to share experience and best practice across the South West.
The SWMF now sits within cultural strategies in local authorities in Cornwall, Swindon, Somerset and Gloucester.
In February 2008 the Bristol Music Foundation published a report entitled ‘South West Music Forum: Business Case and Sector Development Plan’ which was compiled with Culture South West and the Burns Owens Partnership. The report sets out an approach to developing a South West Music Forum in line with CI sector activity, and in response to the CEP and the regional CI Collaborations doc 2007. You can download and read the full report here:Download Burns Owens
In 2005 the BMF began to work in partnership with Generator in the North East to encourage the development of music forums across the region, based on the model of the BMF.
The aim was, and remains;
- To support the creation of one single, mandated and ratified body to represent the collective needs and interests of the music sector in each county, and to provide a coherent and well-organised lobby for increased funding and investment into the sector.
- To disseminate practical information, regional and national music industry agendas, regional and national government policies and agendas, and other, and make such information relevant to the music community of the South West.
The focus was, and remains, on grass roots support for musicians and music workers across the South West. It was, and is, on region-wide coverage and promotion of such support, the offer of ad-hoc advice and information to those requesting assistance, and the need to publish and disseminate practical information and models of good practice for the benefit of all musicians and music workers across the region.
The mission remains to bring real benefits to musicians and music workers in the South West over a long-term and sustained period by building an effective and viable model for on-going support work over a number of years.
Attention has been placed on nurturing individuals and groups and identifying, and addressing, areas of poor provision of support in the region, and seeking opportunities to help develop new links, networks, support organisations and other that lead to a more sustainable music sector.
In addition, this work contributes to the coherence of the economic impact of all music activity across the South West region, identifying strengths and gaps in music activity in the region and proving the economic value of the sub sector to regional agencies with the aim of securing project funding in the future.
The SWMF aims in the long-term to give the music sector within sub-regional areas, and the South West as a whole, a clear and active voice on national governmental and music industry fora and an opportunity to influence national music agendas and policy making, and to establish a solid link to the music policy unit at the DCMS, to Creative and Cultural Skills, UKTI, the British Phonographic Industry and similar national governmental and non-governmental organisations and trade bodies.
The current SWMF partners are;
Bristol Music Foundation (BMF) and the Bristol Music Industry Forum (BMIF)
Dorset Music Forum (DMF)
Gloucestershire Music Forum (GMF)
Somerset Music Hub (SMH)
Swindon Music Forum (SMF)
Cornwall Music Industry Forum (CMIF)
North Devon Music Forum
Exeter Music Industry Group
Plymouth Music Forum
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