ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2020
ISM Annual Review Deborah Annetts outlines the ISM’s activities for the year ended 31 August 2019
The Incorporated Society of Musicians (‘ISM’) is the UK’s professional body for musicians, established in 1882 to promote the art of music and to protect and support the interests of musicians and the music profession. This founding vision still serves the Society well.
associations. The All-Party Parliamentary Group IRU 0XVLF (GXFDWLRQ ZKLFK LV VXSSRUWHG E\ WKH ISM continued to inform MPs and peers about PXVLF HGXFDWLRQ GXULQJ ZLWK VXFFHVVIXO quarterly meetings featuring speakers including DPRQJ RWKHUV WKH 5XVVHOO *URXS WKH '&06 6HOHFW Committee and ASCL. It also produced the State of The ISM continues to grow and develop in the Nation report, a ground-breaking publication DOO DUHDV DQG RYHU WKH FRXUVH RI WKH SDVW Ă€QDQFLDO MRLQWO\ DXWKRUHG E\ 'U $OLVRQ 'DXEQH\ 8QLYHUVLW\ year organisational change has continued on all of Sussex), Gary Spruce (Visiting Lecturer in Music fronts. The Incorporated Society of Musicians (GXFDWLRQ %LUPLQJKDP &LW\ 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG WKH Trust (ISM Trust, a charitable company limited by ,60¡V &KLHI ([HFXWLYH 'HERUDK $QQHWWV 6LQFH LWV guarantee), of which the ISM is the sole member, publication, the report has been referred to many the Incorporated Society of Musicians Members times in debates in the House of Lords and House Fund (Benevolent Fund of the ISM, a charitable trust) and the ISM continue to work closely together of Commons, and in the report from the Culture Select Committee Changing Lives: the social impact of and operate under the name ‘the ISM Group’. participation in culture and sport. The report has also Partnership across all parts of the ISM Group has been cited in evidence in consultation responses by EHHQ D NH\ IRFXV RI DV ZH H[WHQG DQG develop our range of services and resources both to third parties, referenced in speeches and featured as ISM members and the wider music sector to protect the headline topic at education events. and support the interests of the music profession. Key achievements for the year were as follows:
Support the music profession through a range of advocacy initiatives
Above: Materials from the Save the Music campaign
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7KH ,60 ZRUNHG WR LQà XHQFH WZR FRUH SROLF\ DUHDV over the course of the year: the UK’s departure from WKH (XURSHDQ 8QLRQ (8 DQG WKH LPSOLFDWLRQV IRU the music profession, together with the continuing challenges to music education across the UK. The ISM engaged with a greater number of government ÀJXUHV WKDQ HYHU EHIRUH 03V DQG SHHUV IURP DFURVV WKH PDMRU SDUWLHV FLYLO VHUYDQWV DQG JRYHUQPHQW PLQLVWHUV DW WKH 'HSDUWPHQW IRU ([LWLQJ WKH • (XURSHDQ 8QLRQ '([(8 WKH 'HSDUWPHQW IRU %XVLQHVV (QHUJ\ DQG ,QGXVWULDO 6WUDWHJ\ %(,6 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for (GXFDWLRQ 'I( 7KH ,60 DOVR PHW D EURDG UDQJH RI VWDNHKROGHUV LQFOXGLQJ $UWV &RXQFLO (QJODQG WKH %%& 356 IRU 0XVLF 33/ 0DNLQJ 0XVLF Ofsted, music conservatoires and colleges, music education hubs, schools, unions and professional
The UK’s departure from the EU In October 2018, the ISM launched a new phase of Brexit work under the campaign Save Music ZKLFK LQFOXGHG WKH ,60¡V ÀUVW campaign video. A fourth Brexit report was published in May 2019 describing the impact of Brexit on musicians, and achieved a great deal of press coverage and was referenced in Parliament several times. This report has been used to engage with government at a high level, LQFOXGLQJ DW D PLQLVWHULDO OHYHO DQG ZLWK '([(8 %(,6 DQG '&06 Education The ISM continued to lobby extensively in support of music education both in the classroom and across music education hubs and beyond. In addition to the publication of WKH $33* IRU 0XVLF (GXFDWLRQ UHSRUW The State of the Nation, the ISM lobbied to secure funding for music education hubs of approximately … P IRU 0HPEHUV RI WKH ,60 VWDͿ
