Careers and Leadership

We support young people to develop the skills, experience and confidence to build careers in music and the creative industries, both on stage and behind the scenes.

Creative careers are often freelance and portfolio-based. Artists, facilitators, producers and technicians combine multiple roles, projects and income streams.

Not everyone wants to be an artist. Through our Careers & Leadership opportunities, young people take on paid roles, build experience and explore pathways across music, youth work and the wider creative industries.

Why is this important? In our work, we see that the biggest barriers aren’t about ability, they’re about access to opportunities, networks and the resources needed to keep going. The music industry continues to be shaped by inequality, with barriers around cost, connections and confidence limiting who can build a career.

This work is part of our wider commitment to changing that, creating pathways from access to real opportunities, and supporting young people to build sustainable careers.

How it works

Peer Leaders

Peer Leaders are young people who support sessions across our programmes.

After taking part in a training programme, which supports the development of facilitation skills, safeguarding and youth voice, participants move on to a paid role with WMC, designed to build employability skills, confidence, responsibility and experience.

They:

  • assist music leaders

  • support younger participants

  • help create a positive, inclusive space

Peer Leaders are current or former participants in the Young Musicians Project.

A first step into leadership

Assistant Music Leaders

Assistant Music Leaders build on their experience as Peer Leaders or join WMC as trainees, taking a more active role in supporting delivery.

Supported by a training, shadowing and mentoring programme, Assistant Music Leaders’:

  • support the planning and running of sessions

  • work more closely alongside lead music leaders

  • begin to take responsibility for parts of delivery

This is a step towards becoming a Music Leader, supporting the development of confidence, leadership, and practical skills in real-world settings.

Taking on more responsibility
Developing skills in industry roles

Future Music Leaders

Future Music Leaders supports young people from marginalised genders to develop skills and leadership in roles across the music and creative industries — beyond performance.

This might include:

  • event planning and live music promotion

  • content creation and marketing

  • artist support and management

  • working behind the scenes on gigs and projects

Participants build practical skills, gain experience and explore where their interests could lead within the wider music ecosystem.

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Where it leads

Through these opportunities, young people gain:

  • paid experience

  • build employability skills and a CV

  • leadership and facilitation skills

  • insight into careers in music and youth work

Many go on to build portfolio careers — combining creative practice, facilitation, events and other work across the sector. Some continue working with WMC as freelancers, while others move into further training or employment.

Part of a wider pathway

Careers & Leadership sits alongside our artist development work, offering a different route for young people to progress.

Whether developing as artists, leaders or both, young people are supported to find a path that works for them.