Creative Directors

B Music; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Part time

Job summary

A music charity in Birmingham seeks a Creative Director for their Summer School. The role involves leading and inspiring 70 young musicians aged 11-19, focusing on jazz and related genres. Candidates should have experience leading workshops, a strong understanding of jazz, and a passion for accessible music education. The position offers a competitive fee of £500 per day for 5 days, along with additional planning hours and travel expenses coverage.

Benefits

Competitive daily fee

Cover for travel expenses

Flexible project planning compensation

Qualifications

• Experience in collaboratively leading large groups of young people.
• Extensive experience in directing workshops for varied musical abilities.
• Commitment to accessible music education.

Responsibilities

• Meet with Talent Development Manager to agree on the summer school format.
• Communicate objectives and structure to Lead Tutors.
• Provide creative direction to tutors.

Skills

Leading workshops

Creative direction

Jazz knowledge

Improvisational skills

Job description

Overview

Are you a talented music educator with a heart for making a difference through your craft? Are you dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians? We need YOUR expertise to create meaningful and lasting impact in the lives of young aspiring musicians based in Birmingham and the West Midlands. As Creative Director of the B:Music Summer School you will shape and lead a week-long music project for 70 participants aged 11-19; developing their performance skills and knowledge in the musical features of Jazz and other interconnecting genres from around the world. Your role is to enable the young participants involved to connect the musical dots of Jazz and beyond through creative, collaborative music making. You will work with and provide support to a team of freelance musicians and educators, including 6 Lead Tutors, 8-10 Support Tutors and 8 Aspiring Music Leaders. You will collaborate with the Development and Impact team to develop and deliver a strong and innovative programme of creative learning for the week, reflecting B:Music\'s charitable objectives and agreed outcomes for the project. You\'ll also offer creative direction to the supporting team of experienced tutors regarding the areas of focus and methods of delivery for all workshop sessions – both in the lead up to and during the week of delivery.

Responsibilities

• Meet with B:Music\'s Talent Development and Education Manager to discuss and agree format, structure and content of the summer school that meets B:Music\'s strategic objectives and agreed outcomes for the project and all involved participants
• Communicate B:Music\'s charitable objectives, agreed outcomes for the participants, form, content and structure of the week to the team of Lead Tutors in advance of the Summer School
• Provide creative direction and guidance to the full team of tutors, both in the lead up to and during the week of delivery
• Develop the aural skills of the participants including teaching them to learn jazz repertoire by ear (supportive resources can be provided to meet individual learning needs e.g transcribed scales for Eb/Bb instruments, chord charts)
• Expand and develop the participants\' improvisational skills
• Focus on developing the participants\' subject knowledge of jazz, its heritage and how it has shaped and influenced the music of today
• Support Lead Tutors in their preparation for the end of project performance
• Lead whole class warmups and staff performances during the week
• Support all students in each subgroup, targeting those who need to be stretched and challenged and those who may need additional support
• Review the distribution and effectiveness of the tutor team daily, rotating them and providing feedback where necessary
• Support the Talent Development and Education Manager in leading the briefings at the beginning and end of each day

Qualifications

• Can demonstrate experience in collaboratively leading large groups of young people and a range of industry professionals
• Can demonstrate extensive experience in leading and directing workshops, particularly large groups with a range of musical abilities
• Has a creative and forward-thinking vision for the content and creative direction of our B:Music Summer School 2026
• Can demonstrate a commitment to making music education accessible to young people from varying musical and social backgrounds
• Has a proven track record as a professional performer and educator
• Has a good technical knowledge and understanding of Jazz and a wide range of interconnecting genres
• Has a positive, openminded and innovative approach to educating young people

About B:Music

B:Music is the music charity that runs the iconic venues, Symphony Hall and Town Hall. Our aim is to inspire a love of live music, through performance, participation and learning across Birmingham and beyond. We are dedicated to supporting the next generation of young musical minds through the transformative power of music. Our extensive impact programme aims to nurture creativity, foster talent, and build a strong musical community. The B:Music Summer School is a longstanding initiative with a legacy spanning over a decade. It is a week-long creative music-making programme open to musicians of all abilities, aged 11 to 19 years from Birmingham and the West Midlands. Our 70 participants will work with an exceptional team of tutors to develop skills in improvisation, harmony and ensemble performance through the exploration of Jazz and beyond.

Benefits and Compensation

• Summer School Creative Director fee: £500 per day (5 days, £2,500 total) inclusive of content planning and general expenses
• Additional Project Planning + Evaluation Meetings: £30 per hour (up to maximum of 10 hours)
• Travel Expenses: Up to a £50 maximum claim. (45p per mile, providing evidence of journey)