B:Music Summer School Creative Director 2026 in Birmingham

Calling passionate music freelancers! Join us in delivering a summer school of musical diversity, community and collaboration. 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.

About Us

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 which is 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.

By joining our team, you’ll be able to:

• Sharpen and develop your current skillset while gaining valuable working experience in the arts industry.
• Share expertise as a hands-on mentor for young instrumentalists and budding music educators, supporting them to unlock their full potential.

Role Description

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 brilliant freelance musicians and educators, including: 6 Lead Tutors, 8–10 Support Tutors and 8 Aspiring Music Leaders (our trainee music educators). You will work in collaboration with the Development and Impact team to develop and deliver a strong and innovative programme of creative learning for the week, that reflects 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.

Key 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 participant’s 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.

Skills and Experience

We are looking for a Creative Director who…

• Is available to work from Monday 10th August to Friday 14th August.
• 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, open-minded and innovative approach to educating young people.

Fees

Summer School Creative Director fee: £500 per day (5 days, £2500 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).

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and covering letter to talentdevelopment@bmusic.co.uk that best describes your skills and experience for the role of Creative Director. To support your covering letter, we welcome any links to websites, social media platforms, music streaming sites or anything that further showcases your professional work with young musicians aged 11 to 19 years old.

Previous Creative Directors

If you have previously fulfilled the role of Creative Director at our Summer School, you do not need to submit a CV or covering letter. To express your interest in being our Creative Director again this year, please submit a short statement (max 500 words) detailing:

• Why you would like to reapply for the position.
• What you intend to bring to the role this year.

Please note, you must be willing to undergo an Enhanced DBS check through B:Music if you are successful.

Application Closing Date: 10am Monday 16 February.

Shortlisting for Interview: You will hear back from us regarding the outcome of your application on Wednesday 18 February. Interviews Monday 23 February to Friday 27 February.