Brass Bands England (BBE) will host a special Brass Band Conference later this year with the aim of creating debate and discussion into achieving the aim of 'Better Banding for All'.
It will take place on Saturday 28th September at The Life Centre in Manchester is aimed at people with any involvement in banding at all levels and will feature a diverse range of speakers, workshops, performances and award presentations.
Speakers and workshops
For those interested in BBE's work, the organisation's Annual General Meeting will be held in the morning, and will be followed by the opening of the conference activities with main speaker, composer Edward Gregson.
He will provide the prelude to a morning of break-out workshops delivered by a mixture of BBE staff and leading industry experts, with those attending able to choose between areas of interest covering topics such as Safeguarding, Copyright, Fundraising, Diversity & Inclusion, Marketing and Mental Health.
Discussion
The afternoon will feature a lively panel discussion, chaired by BBE's CEO Kenneth Crookston, on the question of 'What is the purpose of Brass Band Contests?'
A spokesperson told 4BR: "BBE look forward to welcoming a diverse range of representatives from across the banding community to be an active part of the day and the debate."The panelists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Awards
After another opportunity to take part in one of BBE's selection of breakout workshops, the day will come to a close with a wrap-up session and awards ceremony, which aims to recognise those individuals and organisations who have made an exceptional contribution to brass banding.
Nominations can be made for the following awards by midnight on 16th August 2019:
BBE Social Impact Award
BBE Innovation Award
BBE Lifetime Achievement Award
BBE look forward to welcoming a diverse range of representatives from across the banding community to be an active part of the day and the debateBBE
More information:
Visit www.bbe.org.uk/what-we-do and click on 'Brass Bands England Awards' for more information about the awards and how to nominate someone.
The Brass Band Conference 2019 will take place at The Life Centre in Manchester on Saturday 28th September 2019. Tickets are available to purchase from Brass Band England's website — www.bbe.org.uk/events
Tickets including lunch will cost £15 for members (£20 for non members) and will include a delegates pack and programme.