Christopher BarrettAdem Holness has been appointed head of contemporary music at the Southbank Centre. Currently relationship manager (Music) at Arts Council England and programme consultant at the Dugdale Arts Centre in Enfield, Holness will join the Southbank Centre’s Artistic Programming team in mid-September. He will report to artistic director Mark Ball.
At the Southbank Centre, Adem will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of more than 150 music events, including the annual artist-curated Meltdown festival. The Southbank Centre said he will also be tasked with building new relationships with artists and labels, nurturing young and diverse talent, developing the Centre’s Associate Artists initiative and creating music engagement opportunities for young people. He will also contribute to the content strategy for the Southbank Centre’s digital platforms.
Holness has experience of producing live music festivals, tours and gigs. He is a fellow of Clore Leadership, the Royal Society of Arts and PRS Foundation’s Power Up scheme: an initiative supporting Black music creators and industry professionals to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector.
He said, “As a Londoner, the Southbank Centre has always felt like our hub for groundbreaking music and creativity. So I feel deeply honoured to have the opportunity to help it continue to create space for contemporary music that reflects our city, country and international family. I am so excited to collaborate with artists, creatives, colleagues and partners to dream up new ways for people to experience live music.”
Southbank Centre artistic director Mark Ball said, “Adem will play a pivotal role in not just leading on our incredible contemporary music programme, but also in how it speaks to our other artforms and connects with new audiences to ensure a rich and relevant programme in our venues and across our outdoor and virtual spaces.”