Meet our new live music team members

Music in Hospitals & Care are excited to announce the introduction of two new roles to the Live Music team. The Creative Engagement and Development Manager and Live Music Programme Manager will complement the work of the Live Music teams and our Impact and Insights Manager, ensuring that we work more collaboratively with our musicians and explore new ways of engaging with care teams and healthcare staff too.

Creative Engagement and Development Manager – Chris Heighton

“I’ve recently joined Music and Hospitals & Care in a new Creative Engagement and Development role, that seeks to explore new creative opportunities, and pathways, to enable the broad range of skills, and experience across all our musicians to become more embedded in the charity’s work, and in shaping the development of new creative programmes. We want to create a platform where we can work closer, and more in collaboration with our musicians, combining our collective creativity to inspire new thinking, and innovation in the development of our work. This will include creating and investing in a portfolio of bespoke professional development and engagement opportunities for musicians working across the charity.

I have been working in the UK Music and Arts industry for over twenty years, as a Music leader and practitioner, freelance orchestral musician, and arts manager, working across a broad range of environments, including professional symphony orchestras, international concert halls, local government, NHS community and statutory mental health services, arts health and wellbeing, HM prison service, NHS Forensic High Secure Hospitals, voluntary sector charities, and as a creative entrepreneur. Prior to joining Music in Hospitals & Care, I created and led a University Music department, specialising in the development of socially-engaged Music practices, and developing the skills of musicians through participatory projects with NHS Trusts, prisons and detention environments, GP surgeries, and a number of charities supporting communities living with social isolation, dementia, and with organisations supporting individuals in recovery from homelessness and addiction. I’m very much looking forward to getting to know, and working with musicians across the charity, and exploring your thoughts and ideas for how we can shape and develop this work together.”

Live Music Programme Manager – Alison Teader

“I am delighted to be stepping into this new role, to support the delivery of high-quality live music experiences in Music in Hospitals & Care’s different areas: Scotland; N England; Wales and N Ireland and S England and The Channel Islands. I will be working with the Live Music Managers and their teams to manage the existing programme of live music, whilst developing and growing stakeholder relationships across the UK and identifying potential partners and areas for exploration. I have worked in the Arts and Health field for nearly 30 years, with a specialism in the care sector and developing music opportunities for people living with dementia. As a result of seeing first-hand the benefits for all involved, I am passionate about making music and the arts more accessible and championing the wellbeing and community building benefits of creative engagement in health and care settings. I am looking forward to getting out and about to visit live music sessions and meet the Music in Hospitals & Care musicians, to learn more about how we can support and develop your work for us.”