Matt Griffiths

Matt originally trained as a musician and following graduation in 1989, embarked on a freelance career as a percussionist, composer and music educator. During this time, he composed and performed his now infamous ‘Concerto for Percussion & Embroidery Machine’ for the Warwick Festival, as featured on The Clothes Show! He also worked extensively for Live Music Now! as a workshop leader in a variety of outreach settings including top security prisons, mental health units, special schools and centres for adults with learning difficulties. He became the South West Director of Live Music Now! in 1993.

In 1997, Matt relocated to Cornwall to take up a new post as Orchestral Development Animateur for Bournemouth Orchestras, with responsibility for their development work in Devon & Cornwall. Projects that Matt devised and managed included the Kokoro Ensemble residency at Dartington and ‘Symphony for Cornwall’, a large-scale internet symphony composed by Andrew Hugill and involving all secondary schools in Cornwall.

In September 1999, Matt was appointed as Music Director for Plymouth Education Action Zone to create a new music education organisation, funded by an anonymous benefactor, to substantially increase access to music making for children and young people with least opportunity. By 2003, ‘Plymouth Music Zone’ had worked with over 2200 participants in weekly music activities, summer schools and special projects with a range of organisations including Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Yehudi Menuhin School (singing carols with Tony & Cherie Blair and the Cabinet outside No. 10!), and Youth Music. Matt was also responsible with Plymouth LEA for the creation of a purpose built music education centre for Plymouth Music Zone, which opened in March 2003 in the Devonport area of the City. Plymouth Music Zone became recognised as a model of good practice, which informed the setting up of similar Youth Music Action Zones in other deprived areas of the UK.

From September 2003, Matt worked for The Dartington Hall Trust to lead the Dartington Plus initiative establishing a diverse portfolio of local, regional and international programmes in music education, creative enterprise and commissioning new work. In December 2007, Matt became Development Director at Dartington with responsibility for fundraising, marketing & communications, innovation and business development.

In February 2009, Matt returned to freelance activity, which included setting up the Devon School for Social Entrepreneurs and project managing Wiltshire Music Connect, a significant music education programme funded by the Department for Education to increase access to music making for children and young people.

In September 2010, Matt returned to Plymouth Music Zone as Executive Director – an organisation close to his heart!

Matt is delighted to be a mentor for South West Music School having been closely involved in its early days particularly devising the idea and creating the first business plan.