Putting on events

Tim Davis of Birmingham Festival Choral Society tells us how his group go about organising their own tours. 

Tell us a little bit about your group

Birmingham Festival Choral Society is a friendly and enthusiastic SATB choir of around 110 members. We sing a wide variety of the world's best choral music! We perform regularly in Birmingham, sometimes elsewhere in the UK and every three years we organise a tour to Europe. 

Welcome to the MM Platform service hub. This area is for members who are already using the service and provides the latest news updates as well as links to the Making Music help guides for setting up their platform

All four nations of the UK have been living without Covid restrictions since early 2022. Although during much of 2020 and 2021 groups were required to take action to stop the spread of Covid, expectations have changed.

Likewise, many members and audiences' have changed. People are used to living with Covid, and without restrictions. Others might still have concerns and want to see some measures in place.

This guidance specifically covers Events in the Making Music Platform. Before reading this, please ensure that you have read our help guide on Getting Started with your Making Music Platform.

All of the Making Music Platform help guides and latest Platform News can be found on the MM Platform Service Hub page.

We have created a template contract for engaging freelance performers in a one-off performance or series of performances.

We have created it with lawyers, and it is intended to be a starting point only. It should not be considered a finalised legal document or as constituting legal advice. Neither Making Music nor its legal advisors shall be liable for any decisions made or action taken in reliance on this document, or for any damage arising from its use. The contract is suitable for use in all countries of the United Kingdom. 

We hear from groups about how they have managed to put on risk-assessed, COVID-secure performances for their audiences.

In response to queries from members about what to do about putting on events in support of Ukraine and about performing Russian music and engaging Russian performers, we have put together some guidance.

Showing support for Ukraine

Raise money to support aid efforts in Ukraine

This is something lots of groups are doing at their events. There are a few things to be aware of to make sure you are raising money so that you aren't moving away from your charity objectives, and that donations are used in the best way.

This resource is about planning and running events that are accessible and inclusive. ‘Events’ in this resource means any activity where people come together that a Making Music member group might run including: 

• A rehearsal 
• A performance 
• A meeting 
• A workshop 
• A social event 
• An online event 

In this resource we will be considering the general set-up of any event. 

Digital producer Leon Gower looks at different livestreaming equipment options to upgrade your setup.

What do I need to get going?

You can livestream with just a smartphone, tablet or computer. However, there are a number of additional pieces of equipment we'd recommend considering that will raise the quality of your broadcast for your online audience.

This resource is split into two sections – 'Smartphone or tablet' and 'Laptop or computer' – as equipment recommendations differ depending on your streaming setup.