Milly March

I did make it into the woman shouting at a cat meme, but it feels a little cruel to post it.

I saw one the other day with two lines of text reading left to right, but jumping between the lines, eg:

A Good
Really Musician

…and my brain is melting.

In Cambridge, you get an insight into how not everyone has a marketing brain. The concert posters tied to railings are often a lesson in what not to do. Text too small, colours not contrasting enough, QR codes in places difficult to reach, artist names no one’s heard of and no other information…

Diary of a freelancer:

Monday: how am I going to pay the rent next month?
Tuesday: how am I going to do all this work next month?

There is no in between.

Goodness knows what superlatives they’d use if there was music by a women or non binary person on the programme.

Got an email from an orchestra describing an upcoming concert as having a “wide-ranging” programme. On the programme is music by four white men.

I’ve raised over £15,000 for clients this year… am I begrudgingly turning into an arts fundraiser?

I went to a conference of people who work in arts marketing.

The speaker at the final keynote clearly hadn’t done his research.

We know we can be creative, it’s pretty much a prerequisite of working in the sector.

Songs for the Earth - Sinfonia Smith Square

#London: there's a really awesome concert on Sunday 29 June at @sinfoniasmithsq.bsky.social with Sinfonia Cymru, Misha Mullov Abado and Bridget O'Donnell. It's such a cool concept and programme, with lots of different cultural influences.

See you there?
www.sinfoniasmithsq.org.uk/event/songs-...

Preferably not "go to this boutique London store that charges £1000 to print your photos on gold". Your girl works in the arts with a photography side hustle. I am not rich. The Milky Bars are not on me.

I've now got some photos that I'm really proud of and I'd like to physically display some of them. I'm hoping to soon move to a house or flat where I'll have more wall space and more control over said wall space. I'd love some ideas on how to do this... #photography

We're opening applications to City Music Foundation’s Artist Programme at ✨10am on Friday 13th June✨.

We support selected, exceptional musicians at the start of their professional careers with our CMF Artist Programme.

Full details are available from our website
citymusicfoundation.org/apply-now/

LinkedIn-core. The internet is insane.

A screen grab of Joe Exotic from the Netflix series Tiger King. The caption reads “I am never going to financially recover from this”

Booked accommodation for Arts Marketing Association conference.

In Edinburgh.

In the summer.

May have to sell both kidneys.

Getting to see amazing concerts and take photos after months of marketing them really is the cherry on the cake. Newbury Spring Festival off to a flying start with English Chamber Orchestra under Roberto Forés Veses, and pianist Emanuil Ivanov playing to a packed St Nicolas Church.

A fantastic opening to Newbury Spring Festival on Saturday. The parade, organised with the Corn Exchange and 101 Outdoor Arts saw local musicians, dancers and a huge puppet take to the streets, culminating in a party in the Market Square with Ladbroke Grove’s own Metronomes Steel Orchestra.

📢 We are hiring 📢 for a Digital Content Manager to join our team from September.

Deadline is Monday 2 June.

Read more here including a link to the full recruitment pack: opera-rara.com/careers

Petition: Make the arts part of UK National Renewal | Campaign for the Arts The Chancellor is reviewing all public spending from scratch. The arts make our lives happier and our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them.

🚨🌱 The Chancellor is reviewing all public spending from scratch. Please join me in signing the @campaignforthearts.org petition to remind the UK Govt: the arts make our lives happier & our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them. www.campaignforthearts.org/petitions/sp...

Getting ready for two weeks 'down south' as Newbury Spring Festival kicks off on Saturday. Lots to do before then, but I'm excited for some great music.

www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk/events/photo/

10 operatic hidden gems you've probably never heard of From biblical floods and medieval sieges to a peasant girl wandering the hills of Northern France with a goat, Opera Rara's Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi shines a spotlight on lesser-known works by 19...

Have you spotted this article by our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi for Gramophone magazine ⁉️

He takes you through 10 rare operas that we've recorded that you may or may not have heard of... with links to where you can hear them on @prestomusic.bsky.social 🎧

www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

Alright #freelancers what’s the craic with this Making Tax Digital malarkey then? My turnover as a sole trader is gong to qualify me in the first wave…

I do my own accounts, so do I now need to buy some stupidly expensive software or pay some stupidly expensive accountant? What is everyone doing?

Check out @operarara.bsky.social’s 55th season 👀

I’ve had one too many unsolicited sales DMs on LinkedIn this week and unfortunately this slime-ball bore the brunt of my sarcasm.

If you’re going to do this on LinkedIn as part of your sales strategy, read your prospects’ profiles first.

Oh wow, that will be an amazing experience.

My toxic trait is that although I’m a massive atheist, I also love visiting cathedrals) cause I like history), and then I get irritated when something religious happens, like a prayer. But anyway, here’s Chichester cathedral, ft Holst and the Arundel tomb.

Pleased for my client the National Children's Choir of Great Britain, who hit their fundraising target with the Big Give this week. We're using the money to keep auditions free and to hold auditions in more areas of the country - a very important step towards improving accessibility to our choirs.

Reading back on a digital strategy I wrote for a client and had one of those rare moments of “oh yes, I DO know what I’m talking about”.

We swam in the sea in the morning, we watched the boys got hitched in the afternoon, and we danced barefoot under the stars through the night.

Work friendships can be amazing. Now for me to spend the next few weeks travelling the length and breadth of New Zealand.

Nearly 9 years ago, me and this dashing chap started our first “proper jobs” within a week of each other. He in fundraising, me in marketing. We hit it off and became firm friends.

This weekend I was at his wedding in New Zealand. He married the most amazing man, and I’m so pleased for them both.

Great to actually be in the studio for Opera Rara’s most recent episode of Lives in Song: Donizetti this evening.

You can catch up on the livestreamed episode here:
www.youtube.com/live/1IchffQ...