Music and Entrepreneurship

The Music and Entrepreneurship project addresses a broad understanding of entrepreneurship – encompassing creativity, innovation, enterprise, and employability for emerging musicians.

The RNCM has been recognised internationally for taking a lead in both researching and delivering innovative training in entrepreneurial thinking and skills for next generation musicians in recent years. This includes winning the Times Higher Education ‘Outstanding Entrepreneurial University’ Award in 2023.

RNCM team on stage at the Time Higher Education Awards in 2023.

Led by Dr Michelle Phillips, Head of Enterprise (Academic) at the RNCM, the Music and Entrepreneurship project incorporates the design and delivery of many in-, co-, and extra-curricular activities underpinned by diverse teaching, research, knowledge exchange, and public engagement initiatives. The project ensures that students develop essential skills to design their own opportunities, build resilient portfolios, and confidently navigate the realities of an increasingly freelance-driven profession in the creative arts.

Graduate outcomes data consistently shows that creative arts graduates remain among the most likely to enter self-employment. As the cultural and creative industries continue to rebuild from the severe impact of COVID-19 – when more than 10 million jobs were lost worldwide in 2020 alone (Reshaping Policies for Creativity, 2022) – the need for high quality self-employment training has never been so urgent. The Music and Entrepreneurship project thus strives to best prepare our students not only to participate in the industry, but to actively shape its future.