LIPA to co-host major international music education conference
Monday 09 December 2024
The Association for Popular Music Education (APME) will be holding its 2025 European Conference at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in July.
The APME’s mission is to promote and advance popular music at all levels of education both in the classroom and beyond. Steve Holley is president of the organisation and is pleased to be bringing the event to Merseyside. “Liverpool has long been at the top of my list for potential conference locations, and partnering with LIPA to co-host the event simply made sense. LIPA has been a long-time Institutional Member of APME, and I've known a number of the faculty members there through their involvement with the organisation.
“These personal connections are essential in the planning process as we want to provide space for the voices and experiences of Liverpool to be a focal point of the conference. Additionally, the facilities at LIPA, as well as the proximity of the campus to the city centre, will provide our attendees with a world-class experience during their time in Liverpool.”
LIPA is a world leading provider of university-level performing and creative arts training. Among its portfolio of courses are six different Music degrees, a Sound Technology degree and a Music Industry Management degree and masters. In October LIPA was named as one of Billboard’s Top Music Business Schools of 2024.
LIPA and its students play a significant role in Liverpool’s music scene. They were particularly prominent at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest with 150 students and graduates playing a part in delivering one of the world’s biggest TV events and the city-wide Eurovision festival and celebrations.
The institute is also part of the recently announced MusicFutures scheme, which, through a £7m government investment, aims to place the city at the cutting edge of music experimentation and innovation.
The Liverpool 2025 conference at LIPA runs from 22 – 24 July and will celebrate, critique and explore teaching, learning, researching, creating, and performing in popular music. The conference welcomes people with interests in higher education, further education, primary and secondary schools, researchers, industry professionals, and performers. The deadline for presentation submission is 1 February, with the programme finalised and delegate registration opening in March. Students will be eligible for discounted conference registration fees.
Liverpool 2025 follows APME’s North American conference in Memphis, Tennessee, where the schedule includes time to explore the city. Steve’s aiming to give delegates a similar opportunity in Liverpool. “By working with our colleagues at LIPA, we intend to curate a similar once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Honestly, I see a number of parallels between Liverpool and Memphis, and I have no doubt our attendees will come away from these conferences with, perhaps, a newfound appreciation for where popular music has been, where we are now, and where the field of popular music education might be headed.”
Find out more about APME’s Liverpool 2025 Conference
