Head of Music Patron

Head of Music Patron

Role description – as at 03 January 2025

A. The Opportunity

Music Patron seeks a dynamic leader to drive the next phase of growth for this innovative digital philanthropy platform. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of music creation in the UK by leading a startup that’s reimagining how new music is funded and supported.

Founded in 2020 within Sound and Music and launched publicly in 2024 following successful prototyping, Music Patron is poised for significant growth.

B. About Music Patron

Music Patron is an ambitious digital startup in the cultural sector that enables collective philanthropy through an innovative online platform. The platform connects audiences passionate about new music directly with composers, facilitating support for music creation through a sustainable funding model.

Currently supporting 27 composers with regular donations from over 100 patrons, Music Patron aims to expand significantly, to support over 100 composers and engage thousands of patrons within the next few years.

Through Music Patron, composers build communities of patrons who support their work with donations of £10 or more per month. Beyond the financial support, composers benefit from meaningful patron engagement, sharing their creative journey through regular updates, performance invitations, and insights into their artistic process.

Unusually for a cultural organisation, Music Patron has an ambition to achieve financial self-sufficiency, without charging any fees to patrons (donors) or composers (beneficiaries), by funding operations from GiftAid claims and small top-up donations from a broad base of Patrons. This will require growing to ~4,000 patrons.

C. Contract Details
Start date: 1st April 2025 or earlier

Contract & hours: 4-5 days per week, initially on a 12-month consulting contract

Pay: Competitive for the sector, and dependent on experience

Reports to: Music Patron Steering Committee – a governance body which currently includes Anthony Bolton plus the CEO and two trustees of Sound and Music

D. Key Responsibilities

Develop and Lead Music Patron’s Growth Strategy

• Drive growth to support over 100 composers and engage thousands of patrons
• Develop and implement a detailed business strategy and growth plan
• Guide the organisation toward greater operational autonomy by March 2026
• Lead and develop the Music Patron team
• Oversee budget management and financial sustainability

Expand Music Patron’s Digital Platform and Community

• Champion the development of Music Patron’s digital presence
• Oversee the platform’s technical evolution
• Foster an engaged community of music supporters

Build Partnerships Across the Music and Arts Sectors

• Cultivate relationships with key stakeholders
• Identify and engage influential ambassadors
• Represent Music Patron at industry events and forums
• Convert interest into impactful collaborations and partnerships

Drive Music Patron Toward Increased Financial Sustainability

• Develop and implement patron acquisition strategies
• Create compelling engagement opportunities through events and experiences
• Build relationships with individual philanthropists, trusts, and corporate supporters to support operations and growth until the point of financial sustainability E. Performance and Success Measures

Growth Targets for next 3 years

• Scale composer community from 27 to 100+
• Expand patron base to over 1000 supporters
• Increase platform-generated revenue to cover 25%+ of cost base
• Build resilient operating model

Key Performance Indicators

• Composer engagement
• Patron acquisition, engagement and retention rates
• Revenue growth and diversification
• Partnership development
• Community growth across digital channels
• Fundraising from sources other than Boltini Trust

F. Working Environment

Team Structure

• Lead a dedicated team including:
• Composer liaison manager (part time)
• Campaign & community manager (part time, contract)
• External tech/development support for platform and website
• Regular interaction with the Steering Committee (1-2 times per quarter)

Support and Resources

• Financial backing from the Boltini Trust
• Established network of individual philanthropists
• Proven digital platform
• Strong composer and patron community foundation

G. Selection Criteria

Candidates for this role will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Dynamic and entrepreneurial mindset
• Appetite to step into the risks and uncertainties of a project of this nature
• Self-motivated, independent, creative problem-solver
• Passionate commitment to supporting new music creation
• Commitment to inclusivity and accessibility
• Does not necessarily need to have an arts / cultural background
• Track record of leading organisations through periods of growth and change
• Including responsibility for team and budget management
• Experience overseeing the development and scaling of digital projects
• For example, online platforms, communities, and social media presence
• Success in securing major donations from individuals, trusts, and foundations
• Individual donations of £10k+, total of £100k+ in a single campaign
• Proven ability to build strategic partnerships and relationships
• Strong communication, advocacy and stakeholder management skills
• Experience working effectively with governance bodies and regulation
• Ideally demonstrating charitable purpose and public benefit requirements

H. Application process

Initial Application deadline 31 January 2025

• Please email CV and cover letter to [email protected], with “Application for Head of Music Patron” in the subject line
  In your brief cover letter (less than 400 words):
• Please highlight how your experiences speak to each of the 7 selection criteria mentioned in section G (table or bullet points are fine, and ideally you will reference your CV e.g. “1. Dynamic and Entrepreneurial mindset demonstrated in my role as xxx in 2017-2020”
• Please provide a link to your LinkedIn profile and any of your personal digital presence that you would like share (e.g. personal website, X, Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, blog, substack, patreon)

Selection Process

• Stage 1 – Application: Applications will be assessed initially based on how well the CV, cover letter and personal digital presence fit with the selection criteria
• Stage 2 – Initial interviews: Candidates with a strong match to selection criteria will be invited to 1:1 video interviews, scheduled flexibly during January and February, with a focus on match between capabilities and the unique nature of this role
• Stage 3 – Final selection: A shortlist of exceptional candidates will be invited to a final selection stage with an emphasis on dynamism and creative problem solving relevant to the specific Music Patron circumstances.
• We anticipate that the final step of the selection process will be held on Wednesday 26th February. Please hold the date and more details will be shared as early as practical with candidates in Stage

Start Date

●  Preferred start date: 1st April 2025 or earlier
●  Some flexibility available for exceptional candidates

For questions about the role or application process, please contact: [email protected]

Further information

About Sound and Music (https://soundandmusic.org)

Sound and Music is the UK’s charity for new music and sound. Our mission is to be the base camp for anyone in the UK who wants to make, experience or support new music and sound to shape the modern world.

We deliver artist-centred development programmes and essential funding to young, emerging and established artists breaking new ground across music-making in the UK. We lead research, campaigns, networks, archives and collections to further originality, discovery and equity within music.

For over 15 years Sound and Music has worked with thousands of music creators and hundreds of organisations to boost musical creativity, careers, cultures and communities; progressing inclusion and representation within new music in the UK.

About the Boltini Trust

The Boltini Trust is a 16 year old family Trust started by Anthony Bolton. Anthony, his wife Sarah and their three children and their spouses are Trustees. The Trust, which disburses over £600,000 pa, supports a wide range of charities including particularly smaller charities in West Sussex where Anthony & Sarah live. About a quarter of the annual donations are made to musical organisations particularly those supporting contemporary music – an area Anthony is passionate about, being a composer himself.