As Kirklees Year of Music 2023 (KYOM23) gears up for a dedicated year-long celebration, the initiative hosted a day-long co-design event, the Year of Music Pollinator, at Dewsbury Town Hall on Thursday 7th April.
Attended by over 100 music lovers, musicians, teachers, youth workers, singers, recording artists, theatre-makers, filmmakers, community volunteers, students, university researchers, business owners and young people, the day was a chance for people to network, get creative and play an active role in shaping the upcoming Year of Music.
Throughout the day, participants worked on one of five big questions1, which form the framework of KYOM23’s ambitions, and were tasked with generating an idea for a project, programme or manifesto.
Commenting on the Pollinator Event, Artistic Programmer, William Galinsky says: “The Pollinator Event was a great success and we are delighted that so many people from such a broad range of backgrounds and experience were able to attend. Participants from all over the Kirklees music sector used their musical talent and expertise to imagine together how Kirklees Year of Music 2023 can transform our communities and have real impact on people’s lives well beyond 2023. I believe this will have proved to be a seminal moment in helping Kirklees take its place as one of the world’s great places for making and enjoying music.
“We’d like to thank all the delegates for attending and for getting involved with the project as well as Kirklees Council and the Arts Council of England for their support in making it happen. I am looking forward to working with participants in the coming weeks and months in further developing some of the great ideas which came out of this amazing day.”
For those who were unable to attend the Pollinator Event, KYOM will be releasing a summary film from the day shortly on their website and on social media.
