Kevin McManus

Head of UNESCO City of Music, Culture Liverpool, Liverpool City Council

Kevin McManus is currently Head of UNESCO City of Music for Liverpool and works closely with the Liverpool City Region Music Board. Prior to this he was the Curator at the British Music Experience in Liverpool, the UK’s only national museum of rock and pop music. Kevin has been involved in music since he began writing for influential music paper New Musical Express (NME) when he was 18. As well as writing for NME his music journalism career also included writing for The Face, ID, and Mixmag. He went on to work for the University of Liverpool where he wrote a number of books about Liverpool music history and the social and economic context in which it was made. In his subsequent public sector career Kevin developed the pioneering creative industries sector development agency for Liverpool, Merseyside ACME, which he led for almost 20 years. Kevin’s achievements during this period included setting up the Baltic Creative CIC and establishing Sound City.

Session | MusicFutures: A Programme Driving Innovation and Growth in the Liverpool City Region Music Ecosystem

MusicFutures is a £6.75 million UKRI-funded Creative Cluster, led by the University of Liverpool in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University. It is a groundbreaking programme designed to futureproof Liverpool City Region’s status as a global music powerhouse by fostering innovation, research, and business development.

This panel will feature key stakeholders representing MusicFutures, a programme that brings together academia, industry, local government, and the region’s extensive network of freelancers, musicians, and artists. MusicFutures is not a single project but a programme of interconnected initiatives tackling sector-wide challenges such as technological disruption, business sustainability, and skills development. A key focus is breaking down barriers to the music industry, ensuring people from all backgrounds have access to opportunities. By uniting universities, policymakers, major music organisations, and grassroots creatives, MusicFutures is shaping the future of the music industry through collaborative R&D, driving long-term impact and economic growth for the Liverpool City Region.