CONNECTING MUSIC INDUSTRY + MUSIC EDUCATION
Educator Pathway Weekend 2026
Presented by the Pathways Into Music Foundation, and supported by Arts Council England, the Educator Pathway Weekend is for anyone involved in music education and/or supporting young people with a passion for music, anywhere in the UK.
The 2026 edition of this annual in-person event takes place at Yarnfield Park in Staffordshire on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026 and participation is free.
What’s it all about?
Join us on this free professional development programme that puts the focus on careers and trends in the music business, providing music educators with the information, knowledge and contacts they need to advise and support students who seek to pursue a career in music.
What will it cover?
Over our two day event we will map the different career pathways in music, for both those making music and those working in the industry.
We’ll explain what early-career music-makers need to know about music rights and fanbase building in order to embark on a frontline artist career.
Plus we’ll run through the latest music business trends, sign-post the best resources and discuss how best to communicate all this information to young people.
What is the format?
A mix of lectures, discussions and Q&A sessions led by a team of music industry experts. There will also be plenty of opportunities to network with and learn from each other, to share knowledge and experience, and to better understand the different strands of music education.
When and where will it take place?
On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026 at Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre, Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0NL. Information on how to get to the conference centre by car or train is available here.
There is free parking at the centre. If you are travelling by train, the conference centre is a 5-7 minute taxi ride from Stone station, or a 20-25 minute taxi ride from either Stafford or Stoke stations (there are hourly trains from Stafford and Stoke to Stone).
There will also be a pre-event webinar on Wednesday 7 October at 5.00pm providing logistical information about the weekend.
Who is it for?
Anyone involved in educating or supporting young people making music anywhere in the UK, including: music teachers, instrument tutors, and FE and HE lecturers, plus people working for music education hubs and talent development, community music and youth organisations.
What is the cost and commitment?
Thanks to the kind support of Arts Council England participation is free including meals – you just need to commit to attend the full in-person event.
Please note – free accommodation and travel bursaries were also previously available as part of this programme but have now been fully allocated.
However, if you can get to the venue yourself each day, we have a few spaces still available on the programme itself.
How do I apply?
Fill out the application form below. Our aim is to invite a diverse mix of participants who perform different roles in music education, in schools, colleges and universities, and beyond formal educational institutions. Achieving that diverse mix will be the primary criteria for selecting participants.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
At the in-person weekend on 10 and 11 October 2026…
Saturday sessions run from 10.30am-6.30pm.
Sunday sessions run from 9.30am-4.30pm
A free lunch will be served on both days. Participants are also invited to join us for free dinner on the Saturday evening at 7.00pm.
There will also be a pre-event webinar on Wednesday 7 October at 5.00pm providing logistical information about the weekend.
TOPICS COVERED ON THE EDUCATOR PATHWAY WEEKEND
The weekend is informed by our mapping and Knowledge Bank projects.
| MAPPING MUSIC MAKERS + THE MUSIC INDUSTRY This session explores the music-maker community, including all the people who are involved in making music professionally. It then puts the spotlight on ‘frontline artists’ and considers how those artists make money. It then outlines the key business partners artists work with on each of the different revenue streams, creating a map of the music industry which works at both a national and local level. Using that map, we will explain how to map local music industries, identifying key players and gaps in support. |
| KNOWLEDGE BANK – MAKING MONEY: MUSIC COPYRIGHT EXPLAINED As soon as early-career music-makers write songs and record tracks they create copyrights. If they collaborate with other people, they will co-own those copyrights. These copyrights are one of the ways that music-makers make money. This session runs through the five key copyright facts all young creators need to understand in order to effectively manage, monetise and protect their intellectual property – and sign-posts resources all music-makers should have access to. |
| KNOWLEDGE BANK – MAKING MONEY: PARTNERS + ROLES This session revisits the artist revenue streams and business partners we talked about earlier. We then consider in more detail the people and companies artists work with, identifying all the many different roles in the music industry. Music-makers need to understand what these different people do – meanwhile, for young people considering a career in the music industry, these are the different jobs they may be able to secure when pursuing a music industry career. |
| MAPPING MUSIC-MAKER CAREERS The Pathways Into Music Foundation has been mapping music careers, tracking the career route taken by both frontline artists and portfolio musicians. In this session we run through this work, putting the spotlight on the DIY Phase before music-makers start working with the music industry. This is the stage where music-makers rely heavily on educators to access the knowledge and support they need. |
| KNOWLEDGE BANK – FANBASE BUILDING Delving into the Pathways Into Music Knowledge Bank, what do young people need to know about fanbase building, and what tools and resources are available to help? What data can early-career artists use to track their fanbase building journey? |
| KNOWLEDGE BANK – RELEASE TRACKS Delving into the Pathways Into Music Knowledge Bank, what do young people need to know about releasing recorded music? How do recordings make money and how do music-makers get paid? What would a track release checklist include? |
PROGRAMME LEADERS
| Phil Nelson is an artist manager and music business educator. He has worked as an artist manager since 1998. Current clients include Matt Hales, Duke Special and Sweet Billy Pilgrim. Previous clients include The Longpigs and The Levellers, the latter of whom pioneered the direct-to-fan approach that is now industry standard and worked with Phil to launch their own 15,000 capacity festival Beautiful Days, which continues to this day. Phil is also an experienced educator, currently teaching music business at BIMM. Since 2017 he has been working with CMU on mapping music careers, music industries and music education, research work that resulted in the creation of the Pathways Into Music Foundation. Throughout his career, Phil has played an active role in the wider music industry. He was Vice Chair of the Music Managers’ Forum from 1997 to 2007 and he co-founded The Great Escape showcase festival with Martin Elbourne and Jon McIldowie. He’s also led a number of initiatives for BIMM helping students to connect with and gain practical experience in the music industry. |
| Chris Cooke is co-Founder and MD of CMU, a company that helps people navigate and understand the music business. It does this through media like the CMU Daily bulletin and Setlist podcast; a consultancy unit and training business; and a future talent programme. Via CMU, Chris writes, talks, teaches and consults about the music industry. He also wrote the acclaimed ‘Dissecting The Digital Dollar’ book and ‘Music Copyright Explained’ guide, and curated and hosted twelve editions of The Great Escape Conference. Chris also pursues other projects via UnLimited Media, through which he also publishes cultural recommendations service ThisWeek Culture and ThreeWeeks at the Edinburgh Festival; and helped to launch and develop the Taylor Bennett Foundation, which is enabling more ethnic diversity in the communications industry. With degrees in English and Law, Chris regularly talks about and comments on the music business, intellectual property, and the wider media and communication sectors. |