The Brass Band Conference is an annual event and awards ceremony providing an unmissable opportunity for brass banders from across the country to learn, share and network.
This year’s conference will be held at The University of Huddersfield on Saturday 7 October 2023 on the theme of Heritage and Innovation. The theme ties in with the opening of the Brass Bands Archive to the public, which will take place in 2023 at the university’s Heritage Quay records management and archive site.
Conference tickets are now available to purchase from the Brass Bands England website.
The event has been a hit with banders across the country, with 100% of delegates who completed the feedback survey for the 2022 conference saying they went away from the event with specific ideas and actions they would take to their band.
Keynote Speaker and Special Guests Announced
Joining delegates in Huddersfield will be Gavin Higgins, who will be opening the conference with a keynote address on the conference theme of ‘Heritage and Innovation’. Gavin comes from a long lineage of working-class brass band musicians dating back to 1895 and his passion for this heritage has resulted in a number of vigorous, daring works for brass such as Destroy, Trample as Swiftly as She (2011), Prophecies (2017), So Spoke Albion (2019) commissioned for the European Brass Band Championships and Concerto Grosso (2022) premiered by BBC NOW and Tredegar Town Band as part of the 2022 BBC Proms Season, subsequently nominated for a RPS Award.
Taking part in an exclusive Q&A session and participating in the panel discussion is Arts Council England’s CEO Darren Henley CBE. Since joining the Arts Council in 2015, he has championed the positive impact of public investment in artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries on creating happier lives in villages, towns and cities across England.
Darren commented: “Brass bands bring so much joy to our communities - from participatory performance opportunities at all levels, to chances to socialise and connect with like-minded people - bands offer a life-long love of music, enriching the lives of people of all ages in places up and down the country. I'm very much looking forward to attending this important national conference to find out more about what individual bands have been up to, and to share how we at the Arts Council are supporting bands, and can help your band on its journey.”
An open call for conference proposals closes today (Monday 27 February) and a full programme of activities for the conference day will be announced in July.
Celebrate success and hear a premiere performance
As part of the conference day, there will be a presentation ceremony of this year’s Brass Bands England Awards, which are now open for nominations until midnight on Saturday 13 May.
In addition to the awards ceremony, there will also be an opportunity to hear the premiere performance of the winning composition in the newly launched Newmoon Insurance Young Composers Competition. Newmoon and BBE invite composers who have not yet reached their 26th birthday by the anniversary (born after 26 June 1997) to submit a new composition for brass band before the deadline of 26 June 2023. Pieces can be up to five minutes long, must not have been previously performed, and should be for standard brass band instrumentation. Entries will be assessed and a winner selected by a panel of judges to be selected by the organisers.
Attend in-person
Get the most out of the day by attending in-person to experience live speakers, attend your choice of breakout sessions, network with other delegates and visit the archive exhibition stands available on the day. If you can’t make it in person, selected follow-up resources will be available in the BBE Members Resources library.
Sarah Baumann, Brass Bands England's Education and Development Manager, said: "I know that many people, including our team at BBE, look forward to this event every year. It's the perfect place to catch up with friends and colleagues, and meet new people in the sector. There's also the chance to see inspiring examples of what's happening at other bands, and pick up lots of actionable insights to take back to the bandroom. With a wide range of talks, workshops and networking opportunities packed in - if you dedicate just one day this year to the progression of your band, let this be it!"
About the Venue - The University of Huddersfield
This year’s venue has been chosen due to the location of the Brass Bands Archive held at Heritage Quay, just a couple of minutes walk from the conference main hall. This gives the opportunity for the archive to be at the heart of conference activity with the opportunity to speak directly to Heritage Quay archivists working on the project, see the behinds the scenes of the archive and get the opportunity to find out more about unique pieces of history.
Sponsor and Exhibition Opportunities
For those organisations wanting to take advantage of the sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available (including sponsorship of individual award categories, breakout rooms and general on the day advertising) can visit bbe.org.uk/advertising-bbe or contact BBE’s Education and Development Manager Sarah Baumann directly on conference@bbe.org.uk.
How do I book?
You can book your ticket for The Brass Band Conference 2023 on the Brass Bands England website.
Any questions can be directed to the Brass Bands England events team on conference@bbe.org.uk.