Kirklees Music Cities Forum

As part of the Music Industry strand of Kirklees Year of Music 2023, the district will be hosting the Kirklees Music Cities Forum alongside Music Cities Events.

The Music Cities Forum is a smaller version of the Music Cities Convention, an event that looks regionally at best practices on the use of music to improve city life.

This event brings together experts and industry professionals to explore the role and impact of music across education, economic development, health, youth, environment, community building, place making, tourism, the future of the city and more.

The evening will explore the theme “A Community That Lives And Loves Music”.

Its sessions will give an overview of the activities of the Music Industry programme for Year of Music, including hosting the Kirklees Music Ecosystem Network, the PLATFORM programme and more.

Afterwards, it will dive into different presentations, panel discussions and workshops focused on bringing the local music community together and giving it resources to advocate for a stronger local music ecosystem.

This event is directed to all members and advocates of the music and artistic ecosystem, as well as people working on projects related to economic development, public policy and community organisations.

The event sessions include:

• Kirklees Year Of Music 2023 – A Vision For Change, a presentation on the activity as part of the KYOM23 Music Industry strand
• Make It In Kirklees: What Can We Do To Make People Stay in Kirklees To Develop Their Music Careers?, a panel discussion on career development opportunities for local musicians.
• Support Available, a presentation on funding opportunities for music projects by Help Musicians.
• Being Small Is No Obstacle, a case study on building a small sized music region.
• Using Music To Revitalise The Region: Affordability and Accessibility In The Music Ecosystem, a panel discussion on giving the region the infrastructure to become a thriving” music region”.
• What Next?, a hands on workshop dedicated on exploring the future of the local music industry

NB: Please note the event will be recorded, this will be focused recording of the panellists. There will also be a photographer taking photos. We will be providing GDPR forms for people to fill in, if you have any objections to being photographed or featuring in the recordings, you will be able to indicate this in your GDPR form.

We will finish off the evening with a performance from our top Platform runner up – Fishing4Compliments!

Fishing4Compliments are 5 piece band based in Huddersfield comprised of; Eileen Wattam (singer-songwriter), Ashley Wattam (rhytmn guitar), James Alexander (lead guitar and backing vocals), Steve Dyson (bass guitar and backing vocals) and David Sharp (drums/percussion). The band have been bringing their lyrically intriguing folk-pop songs and their upbeat, uplifting sounds to an array of venues across the North of England and beyond for over 10 years. Their debut album ‘Off The Isle Of Somewhere’ released in 2022 and produced by….

‘The Dunwells’ led to a nomination for best folk /acoustic act in the Radio Wigwam Online Radio Awards 2020 and a variety of tracks from the album continue to enjoy regular radio play across the world of community and internet radio. The band have also twice been nominated within the category of Outstanding Grassroots Yorkshire artist/band as part of the Yorkshire Gig Guide’s Grassroots awards 2018 and 2019.