Here we are
Juliette Barber talks to Bob Riley, CEO of Manchester Camerata, about rethinking the role of an orchestra – from dementia care to performing in skateparks – on the eve of its celebration of music, “Here We Are”
“Here We Are” sees Manchester Camerata travelling across all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester this October, meeting people in their own communities. Why was it important for the orchestra to take such a direct, face-to-face approach to asking people what they want from live music?
“Here We Are” is really a kaleidoscope of everything the orchestra does, but more than that, it’s about showing up where people already are, and asking, “What do you want from your orchestra?” Not with a corporate survey, but by beginning a proper, human conversation.
Every borough in Greater Manchester has its own identity, its own culture, and we’ve gone into each one asking, “What do you want to hear, and where would you like to hear it?” That’s dictated everything – the programming, the spaces,
the partnerships.
We’re also being careful about how we gather the responses, whether that’s someone with a clipboard, or a digital tool. The key is not assuming. We’re listening to how people want to be asked. That’s what “Here We Are” really means: we’re here, and we’re asking how we can be part of your cultural life, in your space, on your terms.
You’re launching ten new Music Cafés as part of the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia. That’s a huge milestone. What has it taken for Manchester Camerata to become a trusted partner in that space — not just delivering performances, but shaping long-term care through music?
Our Music Cafés are part of a national centre of excellence that we lead, with support from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the NHS and the National Academy of Social Prescribing. The core idea is using improvised music to support people living with dementia, and we now deliver that across all ten boroughs.
But it’s not just about the sessions themselves – we train “music champions” too, carers and community members, who first observe the sessions, and then receive formal training. Eventually, we step back and let them lead – then return to see how they’re getting on. That’s one side of the programme. The other is about national networks – we partner with Alzheimer’s Society and bring together NHS leaders and grassroots organisations to explore how music can be woven into care right across the health service.
So yes, we’re not just showing up with a string quartet and hoping it helps. We’re part of a long-term strategy to embed music within public health.
For “Here We Are”, you’re performing in skateparks, shopping centres and more. Has working in those kinds of spaces changed the way you think about what Manchester Camerata is, or even what an orchestra should be?
Massively. These places – Salford Skatepark, Rochdale Shopping Centre – aren’t just backdrops, they are the heart of the work. And it changes how we perform and who we are. For two days of “Here We Are”, we’re not even an orchestra in the traditional sense. We’re sending out small chamber groups, made up of world-class musicians, into each borough to perform in response to the place and the people there.
Then, we bring it all back together with our Music Director, Gábor Takács-Nagy in Gorton Monastery for a more traditional concert – itself a celebration, as it’s the 30th year since the Monastery was saved from dereliction. And then we go in a completely different direction again with Space Afrika, an amazing Electronic duo we first worked with three years ago at Stoller Hall. This time, we’re presenting an evening with them based around a new opera-inspired short film. We’ll be performing that together at Aviva Studios. So you’ve got the old, the new and everything in between. That’s the orchestra now – responding, listening, experimenting.
You’ve partnered with craft breweries, launched £3 tickets for Gorton locals, worked with poets and youth writers. How do you tell what’s really opening doors, versus what just makes a good headline?
That’s the hard bit. For example, the £3 tickets in Gorton are a good idea, and we’ve seen decent uptake. But decent doesn’t really cut it for us. We’re now asking, is that what people actually want, or does it just sound like a good idea to us? Have we really looked at how we’re perceived? Because sometimes the barrier isn’t the price, it’s the idea of what an orchestra is.
The Cloudwater Brewery collaboration is a good example of something that came from that kind of questioning. It wasn’t just a gimmick. It came from our Head of Communications and Marketing, Sebastian Mariner, who’s amazing. He looked at our vision and asked, who do we want to talk to, and where do they go? We met the team at Cloudwater, realised our values aligned, and someone from the orchestra actually suggested brewing a beer. The result was a really interesting event where two very different audiences came together.
The test is always: does it serve the vision? Does it bring people into genuine contact with us? If it does, then great. If not, we move on.
Splitting the orchestra into twelve groups and sending them across Greater Manchester sounds like a logistical headache and a big artistic risk. What’s surprised you most about it?
Honestly, how much it has come from the musicians themselves. That’s something people don’t always see – that so much of the approach, the ideas, the shape of the work, comes from the musicians. They’re the lifeblood of all of this – especially our freelance players, who are under enormous pressure right now. They’ve been central to how we’ve responded to places, co-curated programmes and brought it all to life. It’s important to remember that freelancers are the glue holding much of the arts together in this country. Musicians in particular are under huge pressure – and they’re key parts of this programme.
Of course it’s a huge challenge. But it’s one that’s grounded in integrity – we’re working with local organisations, poets, schools, libraries and civic halls. That doesn’t happen unless the musicians are deeply involved and committed.
And finally, what does success look like for you after “Here We Are”? What would make you think, “Yes, this was all worth it”?
The dream is that someone comes to one of these concerts – someone who wouldn’t normally – and they make a real, human connection. Maybe with a fellow audience member, maybe with the music, maybe with one of the musicians. A moment that changes how they feel about themselves, or about where they live. That’s when you know something important has happened. That’s what we’re here for.
