The Glasshouse

Staff at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music often talk about the positive feeling they get from being part of work that has a lasting impact on the people in our region.

Beyond all the memorable concerts hosted at the venue, the work with young people, local artists, and anyone with a passion for making music, is what our teams love being part of.

Working in the North East always appealed to Matt, Head of the Young People’s Programme.

In the summer of 2022, BBC Proms came to The Glasshouse for the very first time. The event brought together Royal Northern Sinfonia, the folk collective Spell Songs and a newly formed choir, Voices of the River’s Edge (VOTRE). Matt and his team created VOTRE for young people eager to try choir singing for the first time, as well as more experienced group singers.

“The Proms is a great example of celebrating diverse culture in the North East,” he says. “We connected singers from all walks of life through music. They had the opportunity to perform new songs on stage in Sage One, where Radio 3 broadcasted the concert.”

Matt experiences the personal benefits of being part of  the music programmes at The Glasshouse every day, like watching the children from the In Harmony programme (a programme transforming the lives of children through community-based orchestral music-making) choosing their instruments when they’re six years old.

“Seeing hundreds of children from In Harmony make music together, as we nurture their skills and confidence, is inspirational.”

When choosing a career, Matt knew it would be rewarding to work with young people.. He wanted to encourage them to believe in themselves.

“Music brings people together and unlocks the ability to express themselves,” he says.

One thing that attracted him to his role was the charity’s commitment to enriching people’s lives through music.

“Organisations like The Glasshouse support life chances and empower young people and communities, and I love being involved,” he says. “Every activity I lead has a purpose.”

“I feel alive coming over the bridge on the train, seeing the beautiful lights over the River Tyne and The Glasshouse,” says Matt. “People in the region are proud of the organisation and what it does, and it’s brilliant to be a part of that.”

The freedom to explore new ideas for staff health and wellbeing

Louise is a Management Accountant at The Glasshouse. She‘s also part of the Health and Wellbeing team.

She supports employees through initiatives to be safe, healthy and engaged at work. Louise joined the team because she wanted to help others.

“We want staff to feel good about where they work, that they feel cared about and fulfilled in their environment,” she says.

Skating has always been a passion for Louise and when she got the opportunity to contribute ideas to improve staff wellbeing, she jumped at the chance to bring a regular roller disco to the organisation.

“It’s out of my day-to-day work,” she says. “We brought a roller disco to Thursday lunchtimes because play is great for positive health and wellbeing. It gives staff space to have fun, socialise and connect with each other.

Starting as an Assistant Accountant, Louise has been motivated to grow Louise thinks arts venues encourage creative thinking, no matter what area you work in, and if she has new ideas like her roller disco, she’s encouraged to share them.

“I’ve never had Sunday night blues working here,” she says. “People want you to do well and they invest in you.”

Develop a career through study and working in community music

Ryan is a Training Producer at The Glasshouse. He feels rewarded by seeing people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy music and he studies the positive difference it can make to communities. Completing a degree in Community Music through Sunderland University prepared Ryan for the next step in his career.

“I was shadowing the Loud and Clear music leaders (a programme for care experienced children, adoptive parents, and foster carers) and looking for a route into music leadership,” he says. “I succeeded in getting a maternity post.”

Seeing families benefit from the sessions felt incredibly worthwhile, so Ryan wanted to learn more about inclusive music-making. He started working as Loud and Clear Producer and Project Lead.

In his current role as Training Producer, he’s involved in developing the next generation of music leaders. Being given the opportunity to produce an MC² mini conference recently meant a lot to him. Attendees engaged in discussions about music making with neurodivergent young people.

“It was brilliant to organise a free session that supported the career development of others,” he says.

“I am now working on my PHD and The Glasshouse has provided the background in my area of research. It’s a special place to me because it’s where I’ve progressed my career.”

Collaborating with others to strengthen the workforce

Head of Contemporary Music at The Glasshouse is Jo. She works on programming, strategy and planning. She also works with her team to develop partnerships with other organisations.

“It’s important we work with artists and other people working in the live music sector” she says. “Having conversations, looking for opportunities, going to gigs and events is part of this as well as looking at ways in which we can support each other.”

Jo thinks the people working at The Glasshouse are one of the best things about working here.

“Everyone has something to say about music,” she says.

When The Glasshouse re-opened after the pandemic, Jo was happy to see people dance again and let go at a Caribou gig , where most of the audience were out of their seats from the get-go.

“People enjoying live music together again meant a great deal,” she says, “The audience could listen to music in the same space as others, alongside having the freedom to move.”

She also recalls After Dark, the all-night festival with BBC Radio 3, as ‘really special’.

“People came and supported artists they love, discovered new music and enjoyed themselves,” Jo says. “The set-up with bean bags in Sage One, alongside the lighting and music helped to create a unique event.”

If you’re interested in bringing your skills to The Glasshouse, you can find out more about our current vacancies here.