Manchester Camerata creates 1,200 days of paid work through Camerata 360° Residency

# What the scheme is Camerata 360° Residency for 2026–27, a programme that will hire eight freelance musicians for up to 50 days each. The stated aim is to provide paid work across the orchestra's artistic and community activity, amounting to roughly 1,200 days of engagement in total.

# Who the residents are and what they will do The residency line-up combines performers, a composer and practitioners with community or therapeutic specialisms. Each resident will run a specific project tied to the Camerata's existing programmes, particularly Music in Mind, the orchestra's music-and-wellbeing strand.

• Richard Taylor, composer: will create A Manchester Symphony, a large-scale work inspired by the Camerata's activity in schools, Music in Mind cafés, performances and local collaborations. A regular composing group will support the project and participation will be open to people across the region.

• Mina Jackson, music therapist: will adapt Music in Mind for neurodivergent and disabled participants. She will deliver workshops in schools, alternative provision and community settings and involve teachers, musicians and carers to develop accessible approaches that encourage creative expression and social connection.

• Ryan Breen, tuba: will design a clear, repeatable framework for Music in Mind methodology aimed at improving health and wellbeing outcomes and equipping more practitioners to deliver the programme effectively.

• Áine Molines, flute: will develop a young-people programme in partnership with institutions such as the RNCM, offering side-by-side community work experience to music students and connecting with youth orchestras, Youth Zones, schools and groups for young people with additional needs.

• Andrea Vogler, percussion: will lead Music for Life, an intergenerational programme that combines Music in Mind with other artforms. Participants will turn lived experience and cultural identity into short performance pieces and build links between schools, care homes and community groups.

• Diane Clark, double bass: will collaborate with administrative teams on community and artistic projects across the season, focusing on mental health and accessible performance practice.

• Rachael Clegg, oboe: will explore how live, electronic and recorded music can support somatic breathwork and meditation through Music Guided Resonance Breathing, aiming to create an immersive event for people experiencing anxiety or PTSD.

• Will Newell, violin: plans to use Camerata as a creative laboratory for cross-genre experimentation. An open call and one-to-one development sessions will produce collaborations that can extend into community settings and give emerging creators routes into meaningful music-making.

# Intended outcomes and practical orientation Several residents are explicitly tasked with producing repeatable models or training resources: a framework for Music in Mind practice, adaptations for neurodivergent participants, and pathways that connect student musicians with community work. The projects combine artistic output (new composition, performances) with community benefit (wellbeing programmes, inclusive workshops) and professional development for freelance musicians.

# Context and conversation Camerata CEO Bob Riley frames the residency as a response to freelance under-employment and a commitment to helping musicians build sustainable careers and new skills while creating impact in Greater Manchester communities. Public comments on the announcement include both praise for paid work and scepticism about orchestras shifting musicians into non-performance roles.

# What to watch next Look for the residency's outputs during the 2026–27 season: the Manchester Symphony composition, piloted frameworks and training materials for Music in Mind, intergenerational performances, and the creative-laboratory collaborations that may extend into community settings.