Manchester Camerata launches training fellowship

Manchester Camerata has today opened applications for its inaugural Camerata 360° Ruth Sutton Fellowship. Supported by The Ruth Sutton Trust for Music, the year-long paid training programme is designed to support music graduates in the north of England with learning opportunities to develop their career in the region.

Musicians who have graduated in the last two years in either composition or orchestral strings and who are in or near Manchester, the Pendle area, Liverpool, Bolton, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Sunderland, or Middlesbrough are invited to apply for the fellowship by 11 September. From October 2023, five chosen fellows will receive experience and training across all of Manchester Camerata’s community, outreach, performance and creative endeavours.

The orchestra’s creative director Samantha McShane said: ‘As an orchestra we believe that music is for everyone and in the significant power music can have to empower and enhance lives across all our platforms from performance to community. We are therefore thrilled to launch this vital Fellowship and open up and share the breadth of our work to new music professionals… we are very excited to offer our Northern based Fellows the chance to experience all these areas for themselves.’

Each fellow will have a programme designed for them balancing mentorship by Camerata musicians with experience across the orchestra. Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in Manchester Camerata’s community engagement with schools and care homes as well as receiving guidance in marketing, finance, management, and leadership. In a press release published today, the orchestra notes that ‘one of the key aims of the Fellowship is that fellows can continue their careers in the north and join Manchester Camerata’s talented pool of freelance performers and practitioners.’

Each Fellow will receive £10,000 to support their year in the programme and will be expected to commit to 65 days of training and working with the organisation over the year. Fellows will cover their own travel expenses to Manchester, but expenses for work outside of Manchester will be covered by the Orchestra.

Jane Farnworth, daughter of Ruth Sutton, in honour of whom the Ruth Sutton Trust for Music was founded, said: ‘We are delighted to be founding the Manchester Camerata 360° Ruth Sutton Fellowship. This is a wonderful tribute to Ruth and her passion for helping young musicians. I know she would have been absolutely honoured and excited at what lies ahead.’