The Brass Band Conference 2023: Heritage and Innovation

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The Brass Band Conference is back! This year Brass Bands England is delighted to present an in-person conference packed with exciting workshops, talks and presentations on the theme of ‘Heritage and Innovation’.

Exclusive discounts available for Brass Bands England Members.

Meet the Speakers

Now that our call for contributors has closed, we are finalising the programme of sessions which will be announced in July. However, we do have some special guests already announced…

Our keynote speaker Gavin Higgins comes from a long lineage of working-class brass band musicians dating back to 1895 and his passion for this heritage has resulted in a number of vigorous, daring works for brass such as Destroy, Trample as Swiftly as She (2011), Prophecies (2017), So Spoke Albion (2019) commissioned for the European Brass Band Championships and Concerto Grosso (2022) premiered by BBC NOW and Tredgar Town Band as part of the 2022 BBC Proms Season, subsequently nominates for a RPS Award.

Taking part in an exclusive Q&A session and participating in the panel discussion is Arts Council England’s CEO Darren Henley. Since joining the Arts Council in 2015, he has championed the positive impact of public investment in artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries on creating happier lives in villages, towns and cities across England.

Why should I attend The Brass Band Conference?

• Meet and network with brass banders from across the country
• Participate in high-quality workshops and presentations
• See the home of the Brass Band Archive
• Be part of the conversation – pose your questions to the panel discussing this year’s topic ‘What does the future of banding hold?’
• Celebrate the winners of this year’s Brass Band England Awards
• Hear the premiere performance of the winning submission to the Newmoon Young Composers Competition
• Speak to the Brass Bands England Team, our partners and sponsors on the day

The award-winning Oastler Building is a modern education and conference centre located on the University of Huddersfield Campus which is easily accessible by Car, Train or Bus. It is well equipped with accessible facilities, including disabled parking bays and accessible toilets.

If you have any access needs that we need to be aware of for us to support the event (including any dietary requirements please email events@bbe.org.uk prior to the event.

Can’t be there in person? A number of key sessions will be recorded and available in the BBE Members Resources after the in-person event.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? There’s still an opportunity to make the most of the opportunities available including sponsoring award categories, breakout rooms and general advertising on the day.

Any questions? Just email our events team on conference@bbe.org.uk