ABO announces participants for the 2021-22 ‘Find Your Way’ leadership programme

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) has today announced the participants on its 2021-22 Find Your Way course, a transformative professional development leadership programme. Aimed at senior and emerging managers in orchestras and classical music organisations, the 9-month programme is based around a tailored ‘Individual Development Plan’ co-developed with an experienced coach offering participants the opportunity to examine, broaden and improve on current practice for the long-term benefit of the sector.

Mark Pemberton, director of the ABO said: ‘The ABO is delighted to welcome another cohort to our Find Your Way programme. Leadership will be key to the recovery of the orchestral sector from the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are keen to work with the next generation of leaders to ensure they have the skills and resilience to succeed. Former Find Your Way participants can now be found in senior and leadership positions across the industry, and we look forward to working with the latest recruits to ensure they too have a pathway to success.’

This year’s successful applicants are professionals representing different aspects of the orchestral sector and will be guided by CEO-level mentors. Each participant will also have an Alumni of the programme as their ‘buddy’ to guide, sympathise, understand the challenges, and give support to the participants. This year’s cohort are listed below:

• Gordon Bragg, sub-principal second violin, Scottish Chamber Orchestra
• Ellie Carnegie Brown, executive producer, Multi Storey
• Miriam Crozier, marketing & communications manager, Ulster Orchestra
• Becky Eldridge, orchestra and concert manager, Orchestra of the Swan
• Hattie Rayfield, outreach coordinator and marketing and development administrator, London Chamber Orchestra
• Tammo Schuelke, artistic planning manager, Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Richard Wigley, visionary arts consultant and managing director of the Ulster Orchestra will guide this year's the programme alongside the ABO’s education consultant Fiona Harvey, and leadership trainer Andy Beaumont. The cohort will also present a fresh thinking session at the ABO Conference to be held in Glasgow in February 2022.

This year’s programme is presented with support from Help Musicians, the Vernon Ellis Foundation and the ABO Trust. James Ainscough, CEO of Help Musicians, said: ‘Leadership is a quality that takes many years to hone, and we can all learn a huge amount from the skills and experience of those who are walking the path ahead of us, which is why mentorship is so vital. Help Musicians is so pleased to support the Find Your Way programme as it continues to play an important role in developing future music sector leaders, providing a platform to build, learn and develop with inspiration and support from leaders in the music industry. As we recover from the pandemic, now is the time for the renewing of connections with mentorship offering great benefit to all involved. This is a great scheme and is needed more than ever in these challenging times.’

You can find out more about the ABO's Find Your Way programme on their website.