Fast Forward Festival 2019
Event description
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) and Bristol Music Trust are pleased to announce that Fast Forward Festival, a national Disability Arts event focused on inclusion within music education and the music industry, will take place at MAC on Thursday 24 October 2019.
Bringing together leading arts organisations, musical education hubs, and those working within the music industry, the Festival celebrates music inclusivity and challenges expectations around disabilities and music.
As a supporting venue, MAC invites guests from cultural and music industries to join together in championing for equality within music education and advocating for innovation within music-making approaches.
With highlights including keynote speaker Jess Thom (Tourette’s Hero) and live performances from BSO Resound (the first disabled-led ensemble to ever perform at the BBC Proms) plus Sarah Fisher’s acclaimed show ‘Twitch’, Fast Forward will showcase the best examples of inclusive arts from across the UK.
Holly Radford, Producer for MAC Makes Music, Midland Arts Centre’s inclusive music programme said: “MAC is proud to be hosting and co-producing Fast Forward Festival 2019 with Bristol Music Trust. This as an important moment for inclusive practice, offering a vital platform to advocate for positive change across the music industry. It's a key date for anyone working within the music sector, with genuinely great opportunities to hear from outstanding contributors from across the country - so don't miss out, book now!”
The one-day Festival will shine a light upon organisations working to remove existing barriers within the industry for musicians with disabilities, investigating industry case studies from Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Drake Music, and The National Open Youth Orchestra.
Established by Bristol Music Trust, the Festival has previously taken place at Colston Hall in Bristol and Wiltshire Music Centre in 2018. Siggy Patchitt, Head of the National Centre for Inclusive Excellence, Bristol Music Trust said: “If you are a venue, an orchestra, a music education hub, or anyone working in the music industry, and are interested in exploring how inclusion is driving the creative and cultural development of some of the UKs leading arts organisations, Fast Forward Festival is unmissable.”
Both Midlands Arts Centre and Bristol Music Trust are founder partners of the Alliance for a Musically Inclusive England, a movement for change throughout music education, led and supported by the charity Youth Music through National Lottery funding. The Alliance is a growing network of organisations working together to:
- Promote equity in music education
- Support others to do the same through advocacy, CPD, resources, and strategic alliances
For more information about Fast Forward Festival, please visit: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/fast-forward-festival-2019