Guidance

'Formal' concerts are often the central driver of groups' seasons and activities, but in some cases they can be a financial burden as well. In this guidance we explore some alternatives that might allow you to retain the benefits while reducing the financial risks and pressure. 

Collaborations between music groups can be hugely beneficial and a lot of fun for everyone involved. They are exciting projects with lots of challenges and opportunities that can take the enjoyment of being in, and running, a music group to the next level.

Research by Age UK has confirmed what many of us have long suspected: that cultural engagement is the biggest contributing factor to wellbeing in later life. Member groups often provide just this kind of opportunity for engagement, but may not be aware of the barriers that can prevent people from getting involved.

A Facebook Page is a great way to attract new audiences and potential members to your music group.  At the time of writing, there are around 702,000 Facebook users in the UK that express an interest in choirs; 506,000 that like orchestras and a staggering 27,818,000 that like music. These are all potential audiences that you can reach if you know how to target them.

Local Authorities (LAs) often have multiple grants available over short periods alongside extra help like guidance, advice, and links to other contacts in the area. Although we cover some LA grants in our Funding Finder tool, we've also put together the tables below as a quick and easy way of finding the relevant page on your Local Authority's website for all they have to offer in the way of help.

Your group may not have the budget to hire a professional crew to film your next performance, but that doesn't mean that you can't produce attractive and engaging video with the most basic tools.

You will find very good lenses and sensors in many smartphones or inexpensive cameras, and you can also access free editing software on the computer or mobile device of your choice. But you also need some notions of videography, a good eye for detail and a decent amount of creativity! Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

Health and Safety is one of those terms that can bring dread and derision in equal measure. With some of the stories you hear it’s easy to see why it has a bad reputation. In practical terms though, all it really means is spending a little bit of time thinking about what risks exist in a particular situation and what can be done to minimise them.

Arts Award is a range of qualifications provided by Trinity College that supports anyone aged up to 25 to grow as artists and arts leaders, inspiring them to connect with and take part in the wider arts world. This resource looks at why this could be a useful scheme for Making Music members to know about, and how to best interact with it as an Arts Award Supporter.

Our research into engaging under 35 year olds in music groups pointed to a need for better outreach and publicity. Young people might not be specifically looking for a group to join, or might not be aware of groups in their area. So instead of waiting for them to find you, go to where they are! But where might they be? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Go to local businesses and offices

Most offices will have a fair number of under 35s amongst their staff. Try the following:

Policies aren’t necessarily the most exciting thing to think about when you’re running a music group. But they are important and will help you run your group more efficiently and effectively. We have provided a list of the most common polices you might consider having, together with links to further resources and some template documents. But first, a quick word on why you should have polices in place.

A policy sets out your commitment to a particular area. This can: