Programmes

Music city

We have identified music as being key to achieving the Culture Plan’s core objectives, and being vital in building the identity of people and place.

In recognition of this, we launched our Music Ambassador programme in 2022, appointing Jack Harman and Craig Roxburgh to begin the process of developing a Music City Action Plan and galvanizing the music sector. 

We are continuing to work towards developing Plymouth into a gigging city, bringing on Jeremy Hibbard and Grace Lightman as music ambassadors in 2024 to support this work.


Music ambassadors

The Music Ambassadors were recruited by Plymouth Culture and tasked with developing a Music Action Plan and piloting music activity with the aim of making Plymouth into a gigging city. They are:

JEREMY HIBBARD 

  • Broadcaster, Writer and TV Producer Jeremy Hibbard has been appointed as the new (and first) Chair of Plymouth’s Music Ambassadors. He’s combined a life-long passion for music with a multi award-winning broadcasting career working for the BBC, ITV and the independent production sector. For the BBC he worked on tv documentaries with global names including Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Simple Minds and Genesis while also championing unsigned acts through a long-running BBC North radio show which he produced and presented. He was Head of News for ITV Westcountry and more recently he produced and directed the tv coverage of the first ever Unsigned Music Awards in 2016. He’s also been a media advisor for charities and other organisations, including a spell working for No.10 Downing Street. He currently runs one of the UK’s most successful military veterans’ charities, Veterans Outdoors.  As a musician, he’s been a regular on the southwest music scene for the past 15 yrs. 


    Jeremy Says “It’s great to be working alongside the other ambassadors - Grace, Jack and Craig – as well as the Plymouth Culture team and Plymouth’s wider musical family. There’s so much energy, passion and creativity, I’m sure we can achieve a great deal together.”

GRACE LIGHTMAN

  • Grace Lightman is a producer, song-writer, performer, mentor and facilitator. With experience in both the live music world and behind the scenes in studio settings, Grace is committed to encouraging music makers to create in an authentic way. After the release of her solo album, Grace relocated from London to Plymouth to be closer to those who have facilitated the same for her; sparking a desire to pass on these opportunities to artists who require mentoring and support. Grace is passionate about prioritising music as a cultural asset to Plymouth, and beyond.

Action plan

This action plan is the culmination of months of research, conversations, consultations and testing. Using Sound Diplomacy – The Music Cities Manual as our guiding framework, the action plan seeks to set out our ambitions as a city and to identify the annual priorities that will help realise this ambition. 

Be apart of it

The action plan is extensive and will need everyone pulling in the same direction to make change happen.

We have been hosting quarterly forum meetings with the music sector to share information, signpost to opportunities and discuss priorities. These forums are open to all so if you are a musician, promoter, technician or venue owner and would like to know more then join our mailing list and come along to our next forum.

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