The National Youth Orchestra (NYO) has appointed Lucy Bayliss as Director of Engagement & Partnerships.
The new role, which starts in mid-November, will support NYO to open up orchestral music to even more teenagers through programme and partnership development and new digital entry points. Lucy will work closely with our dynamic and experienced team to support the strategic development of NYO Inspire, our emerging relationship with youth centres and our schools programme.
Lucy will work with the NYO team to continue to scale up our schools engagement which last year turned ordinary days into extraordinary musical experiences for over 20,000 pupils through schools concerts and takeovers, side-by-side playing and teenage-led workshops.
Lucy will help us nurture new and existing partnerships across the music education, education, youth and arts sectors, to create more entry points for young people to experience orchestral music at every level.
This new role will support NYO to keep growing NYO Inspire following record demand for places. NYO Inspire provides free musical opportunities for teenage musicians at Grade 6-8+, who are primarily from state school.
With over 20 years’ experience in the arts, Lucy is a dynamic leader in dance participation, programming and training. She’s dedicated her career to unlocking life-changing benefits of dance for children and young people. As Head of Creative Programmes at DanceEast, she has built an impactful and inclusive programme across the East of England which now facilitates 60,000 attendances annually, 65% from children and young people.
Lucy is a champion for equity and access, establishing free dance lessons for children and young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. A digital innovator, Lucy has led projects which enhance dance education through digital tools and interactive teaching. Lucy also established DanceEast’s nationally recognised Centre for Advanced Training and launched the UK’s first 2-year BA (Hons) Dance degree with the University of Suffolk.
“I’m hugely excited to join The National Youth Orchestra at a key time of development and growth for the organisation. I look forward to developing ambitious solutions that open up more pathways to taking part in orchestral music. Establishing partnerships and developing opportunities for young people to take part in the arts has been central to my career. I can’t wait to support the team to bring exceptional musical experiences to young people at a time when joy and creativity are needed more than ever.” Lucy Bayliss, Director of Engagement & Partnerships
“I’m delighted to welcome Lucy to the team. Lucy brings a wealth of experience creating opportunities for young people to thrive through participation in dance. We can’t wait to start working with Lucy to grow our engagement programmes and develop thriving cross-sector partnerships. Lucy will play a key role in helping us make orchestral music powerfully relevant to every teenager.” Sarah Alexander OBE, CEO & Creative Director