At Britten Pears Arts, we believe in the transformative power of music, not just as an art form, but as a force for wellbeing, connection, and social change. Through dynamic cross-sector collaborations and artist-led initiatives, we’re working to embed music more deeply into everyday life, celebrating its role in building a more connected and resilient society.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to collaboration and learning. We foster partnerships across disciplines to share knowledge, co-create solutions, and amplify impact. Our artist development programmes, residencies, and peer learning opportunities support artists in socially engaged contexts, strengthening the creative workforce and ensuring communities benefit from inclusive, responsive, and high-quality artistic experiences.

We cultivate spaces for reflection, innovation, and leadership through a range of initiatives that support the development of creative health. Our ThinkTanks bring together artists, researchers, and professionals from diverse sectors to explore pressing issues and spark new ideas. Musician retreats offer time for rest and creative renewal, while our Spark one-day conferences ignite dialogue across disciplines. Through tailored leadership programmes, we empower artists and practitioners to grow their confidence, influence, and capacity to lead change.

Our work is grounded in a commitment to exploring the most urgent themes shaping music and society today, diversity, equity, and inclusive practice. By fostering meaningful partnerships and facilitating rich knowledge exchange, we create opportunities for shared learning and innovation. What sets our approach apart is a dedication to artistic quality, ensuring that our initiatives are both distinctive and socially relevant. Through this interconnected work, we aim to generate lasting impact and build a more compassionate, creative society.

Focus on ThinkTanks

Britten Pears Arts ThinkTanks are structured yet informal gatherings designed to spark interdisciplinary dialogue, creative thinking, and collaborative problem-solving around specific themes or societal issues related to music. These spaces bring together diverse voices to explore complex cultural questions in a safe, generative environment, encouraging radical imagination and open exchange.

By breaking down silos between disciplines and sectors, our ThinkTanks lay the groundwork for future research, partnerships, and projects with real-world impact.

Some examples include:

• A ThinkTank on Young Musicians’ Wellbeing led to a two-year research project with the Royal College of Music.
• A ThinkTank on Singing and Maternal Mental Health inspired the creation of Melodies for Mums by Breathe Arts.
• A ThinkTank on Music’s Role in End of Life, Grief and Loss led to a performative partnership with Sansara and St Elizabeth Hospice, contributed to Emily Levy’s Me Without You premiere at the Aldeburgh Festival, and sparked the Music to Die For project.

Next Up: Music, Migration and Displacement

Our upcoming ThinkTank, developed in partnership with Counterpoints Arts as part of Platforma, will explore the intersections between music, migration, and displacement. This strategic gathering will convene musicians, cultural leaders, policymakers, academics, funders, and grassroots organisations to envision more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful ways to support refugee and migrant musicians.

Migration is as old as humanity itself. As it continues to shape our society, music emerges not only as a form of cultural expression and emotional survival, but also as a tool for community-building, advocacy, and socio-economic inclusion. This ThinkTank will generate actionable insights, identify structural barriers, and propose frameworks for ethical, long-term support and engagement.

A Call to Imagination

At Britten Pears Arts, we believe music is more than performance; it’s a catalyst for healing, connection, and change. From our Suffolk roots to our global collaborations, we remain committed to making the arts not only accessible, but essential to everyday life.

We honour Britten and Pears’ legacy by continuing to ask:  How can music and the arts serve society today? We invite you to imagine with us an arts sector that is inclusive, responsive, and deeply human, where creativity is not a privilege, but a shared resource for resilience, joy, and transformation. Sign up to our Creative Health newsletter to stay connected with our work on music, society, and wellbeing.