Music
Guildhall Artist Programme in Leadership
Meeting the needs of future creative leaders.
The Leadership Pathway of the Guildhall Artist Masters Programme is designed to help professional arts practitioners meet the challenges of the future. The Pathway provides you with a unique opportunity to extend the boundaries of your performance practice and to explore different creative processes in a practical and reflective research environment. You will be encouraged to identify a personal pathway for your development as a practising artist in a variety of artistic, cultural, community and educational contexts.
Supported by a diverse team of active practitioners, researchers, guest speakers and project leaders of world renown, you can develop your skills in a range of areas including improvisation, group composition, cross-arts collaboration, performance, and creative workshop-leading for different contexts. With a strong focus on reflective practice, you will develop an informed awareness of the wider context of your work. The Pathway is taught through group practical classes, discussions, critiques and seminars; individual tutoring, instrumental lessons and mentoring; individually led and/or group creative projects.
As a part of the course, you are entitled to two or three electives, encouraging you to develop specific skills, attitudes and understanding in relation to your areas of specialism. These electives are taught in small groups and involve a combination of academic and experiential learning approaches.
Led by the Creative Learning Division, the Pathway has close links with the Barbican and offers opportunities for you to get involved in collaborations with established artists, creative research laboratories, professional placement opportunities and local, national and international residencies and exchanges (recent placements have taken place in Singapore, Bali, Malaysia, Gambia, Argentina and the West Bank).
Part 1 of the Leadership Pathway is offered on a two-year, full-time basis only. Exceptional students completing Part One of the Leadership Pathway will have the opportunity to continue their studies into Part Two (Leadership Portfolio). Students undertake a portfolio of three substantial performance events as a Leader, Performer and Creator/Collaborator that are designed to strengthen their own artistic development in these three areas.
Recent Department Highlights
- MAP-making (Music, Art and Performance), an ongoing collaborative project with graduates of the Leadership Programme and from the Royal College of Art: in 2011, participants collaborated over six months to produce a new work, On Site, incorporating music, live electronics, moving image and live art, which was performed at the Barbican’s Exhibition Halls in conjunction with Barbican Gallery's OMA Exhibition, Progress
- In 2011/12 several Leadership students travelled to the Gambia, Singapore, Bali and Nazareth in Israel for intensive cross-cultural musical exchange, collaboration and workshop leading
- 2011/12 students took part in residencies in the Barbican Pit Theatre, the Rag Factory in Brick Lane and The People Show Theatre in Bethnal Green, working in creative ‘laboratories’ with sound artists, choreographers, theatre directors and with journalist and musician Pascal Wyse
- Recent guest speakers and tutors include: Brian Eno, David Toop, Oren Marshall, Pascal Wyse, Alex Murdoch, Eugene Skeef, Kinsi Abdullah, Julia Woolfe, Lucy Bailey, Ansuman Biswas, Orlando Gough
Alumni include
Jo Wills (Leadership 2007) is an electronic musician, bass player, producer and leader. He is co-director of an independent music studio, WWMusic based in Dalston, London. Recent creative projects include writing and performing the music for Tom Dale’s dance company, as ‘Old Man Diode’ producing his own album with poet Rick Holland and guest vocalists, and performing in Barbican Live Event ‘Disruption’ as a member of ‘Jetsam’. Jo is also co-leader of Barbican World in Motion Drumming Ensemble. With over 200 students across three schools participating on a weekly basis, recent/upcoming opportunities include an appearance on the Barbican stage with choreographer Hofesh Schechter, work within the BBC’s Music Nation festival and performances within the Olympic Cultural Olympiad. http://diode.amazingtunes.com/users/diode
Detta Danford (Leadership 2008) has led projects in Singapore, Japan and The Netherlands and has worked with professional ensembles from the Gambia and Israel. UK work includes leading projects for the Guildhall School Creative Learning Division, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Barbican Arts Centre. Detta currently co-leads a Creative Learning ensemble called Future Band. Made up of 30 young instrumentalists, the members of Future Band work on creating original pieces with strong international influences.
Preetha Narayanan (Leadership 2010) performs internationally with ‘Oi Va Voi’ and with East London based band ‘Flux’.
SoundCastle (Leadership 2011) members and Leadership Graduates, Hannah Dunster, Gail MacLeod, Jennifer Parkinson and Rachel Perrin were awarded the prestigious Deutsche Bank Award. Their company is “a pioneering collective creating original music through community engaged collaborations”. www.myspace.com/soundcastleband
Jennifer Parkinson (Leadership 2011). Her band Joy to Filth Ratio, formed from her final assessment project, is through to the area finals of the Live and Unsigned competition.
Olivia Bradbury (Leadership 2011) and her group The Unhidden Collective are developing a piece The Fish Tales of Alaska. Following two developmental laboratories at the Barbican Pit Theatre, they have been awarded a three-week run at the Yard Theatre, Hackney, in November 2012.
“ You have access to some of the best musicians in London and all the knowledge they have about their profession. ”
Thanihan Jeyapalan
BMus Bassoon
“ I've had amazing masterclasses with great musicians such as Richard Goode and Paul Lewis. ”
Grace Yeo
MMus Piano
“ A world-class staff, whose dedication and passion inspire students to achieve their utmost potential. ”
Anna Anandarajah
BMus Vocal Studies
“ The performance opportunities available through Guildhall are second to none, and act as a springboard into the profession. ”
Edward Pick
Postgraduate Piano
“ The School’s reputation of providing world-class tuition and support for every student has proved to be true – I have been supported every step of the way. ”
Ben Gernon
BMus Tuba
“ I am thrilled with my teacher; every session confirms the decision to be here studying with him. ”
Charlie Mellor
MMus Opera Studies
“ It’s amazing to be learning from some of the leading figures in the contemporary music scene, teachers who constantly inspire and who truly wish you to succeed. ”
Sylvia Lim
BMus Composition
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