ACM Partners with UK Music

The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) and UK Music are delighted to announce the Music Academic Partnership (MAP). The MAP heralds a new and ground-breaking collaboration between ten select educational institutions and UK Music, the umbrella group which represents the interests of the UK’s artists, publishers, producers, record labels and managers. This exciting new initiative promises to break new ground with its collaborative research, enviable workplace experiences for students, and high-level exchanges between tutors and industry leaders.

In a bid to encourage economic growth, the British Government has tasked the creative industries with designing and developing skills programmes. The close collaboration between government and academic institutions will be vital to the success of these initiatives. Recognising this, UK Music responded with the launch of its CBI-backed Skills Academy in 2013. Continuing on its promise to work with the government in motivating growth, UK Music now launches the MAP.

ACM is extremely proud to be a part of this UK Music Partnership. For over twenty years, ACM has been preparing students for life-long careers in the music and wider career industries. ACM’s graduates are innovators, pushing creative boundaries and changing the way these industries work for the better. As a founding MAP institution, ACM is looking forward to working with UK Music and its other education partners to continue providing industry with such skilled, knowledgeable talent, renowned for their industry-readiness and employability.

The benefits of the MAP to academic institutions and students are vast. The Music Academic Partnership will work to ensure graduates greater career opportunities in the music industry, provide a platform to address pertinent industry issues and a network to share ideas and ultimately to help young people from the UK and abroad decide which courses and institutions suit their needs.

“The music industry and the skills needed today are far more technical than they were ten years ago. Entry-level opportunities are limited, the vast number of businesses are SMEs and the market is fierce. MAP is designed to maximise the employability of the students enrolled in those institutions and aims to future-proof the music industry by ensuring new entrants have the right mix of experience and skills most needed. Partnerships and collaboration, like those with the BBC and with KOKO are just some of the benefits that institutions and students will enjoy, as well as engagement with policy makers, UK Music members, and the wider industry.”
Jo Dipple, CEO of UK Music.

“2015 is a hugely exciting time for British music. Last year saw British artists dominate the international album charts and one in every eight albums sold now worldwide is by a UK artist. Partnerships like this fantastic initiative are vital in inspiring musicians and future industry executives. It will help equip them with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to succeed in today’s highly competitive global music industry. British music has an incredibly proud history and the Music Academic Partnership is a great step towards ensuring its continued long-term growth.”
Sajid Javid, Culture Secretary.

To mark the launch of this pioneering network, the MAP can announce the following:

• A partnership with BBC Introducing, where student take on a “real” assignment, working with the BBC to film and record a broadcast-quality package of the local artists whose work has been selected to feature on the BBC Introducing slots.
• A music tech competition with world-renowned venue KOKO, where a MAP student will be awarded up to £20,000 to develop a music and technology business idea with access to further investment to help launch it.
• Research project with Coventry University, “Taking the Long View”. This is a ten-year longitudinal study of the talented and young.

The launch of the Music Academic Partnership marks an exciting new chapter for music education and industry alike. As a founding member of this historic partnership, the Academy of Contemporary Music continues to make good on its promises, providing the highest quality of teaching and learning in music industry education matched with an unparalleled student experience.