I am a musician, researcher, workshop leader, consultant and coach.
My main interest is in the possibilities of working co-creatively using the arts to promote wellbeing. I enjoy working creatively with people living with dementia, and supporting individuals and organisations to develop their participatory and socially engaged practice.
See below for more about me.
Please feel free to drop me a line if you’d like to find out how I could work with you.
About Julian
Julian has designed and led participatory arts projects for organisations including Wigmore Hall, Glyndebourne, English National Opera, the Royal Opera House, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, and Spitalfields Music. Internationally, he has supported organisations and musicians to develop their socially engaged and participatory practice in Europe, East Asia and North America. He is Head of Open Academy, the Royal Academy of Music’s community and participation department. Julian was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 2020.
Music, Health and Wellbeing
Julian’s main area of interest is in the field of music, health and wellbeing. Within this he has developed a particular specialism in researching the role that improvisation and co-creative music making can have for people living with dementia. In 2016, he was invited to become a co-director of Created out of Mind, an interdisciplinary group of researchers who were the recipients of Wellcome’s prestigious Hub Award. He has gone on to lead the research project, The Arts and Dementia: how might the arts contribute to the creation of more inclusive ageing societies? Julian was also a co-investigator for Culture Box: remote and digital delivery of Arts and creative activities to improve the wellbeing of people with dementia in care homes, a research project responding to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Julian has worked with Wigmore Hall’s Music for Life programme since 1998.
Julian‘s performing career has been eclectic; he has premiered new works for solo oboe at the Purcell Room, recorded Stockhausen for BBC Radio 3, performed as a soloist on BBC Radio 2 and appeared with the band Paris Motel at Glastonbury. Julian was as a member of the oboe trio Pipers 3, who commissioned and performed new works from composers including Michael Finnissy, Alasdair Nicolson, David Knotts and Richard Causton. As an ensemble they performed in a range of venues throughout the UK, including festivals (Bath, St Magnus), and community settings including care homes, SEND schools, and day centres. Their performances and events always prioritised strong connection and open communication with audiences.