Inspired by a session at the ABO's 2023 Conference, we joined forces with Black Lives in Music and the Musicians' Union, in consultation with our members, to design a 10 point action plan towards a more inclusive hiring and recruitment practice for UK orchestras and choirs.

Click here to download the 10 point action plan and guidance notes.

This plan was developed through a series of online and in-person working group meetings with representatives across the breadth of the ABO's membership, including musicians and managers. It aims to support a unified approach towards the recruitment of musicians in orchestras in the UK classical music sector. The plan is designed to be sufficiently flexible to enable orchestras with different employment models to address traditional challenges of fair recruitment and to share an understanding of best practice, with the specific objective of workforce development and nurturing an inclusive culture in orchestras and choirs.

Alongside the recommendations, the ABO, BLiM and the MU are working together to support participating orchestras and choirs through sharing assembled resources and monitoring the take-up and impact of the recommendations. See below for a list of participating orchestras.

Orchestras and choirs were invited to commit to the 10-point plan through a simple sign-up process. Each orchestra or choir is encouraged to target and execute two actions from the plan per year, beginning April 2024, and following Year 1, Year 2 will continue through to May 2026. This will enable further development and tracking of the work in practice. The work is ongoing, and an annual review will enable further refinement in response to feedback and lessons learned during implementation.

33 orchestras signed up to the 10 point action plan in May 2024 and have been working together since then.

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Aurora Orchestra

Bath Philharmonia

BBC Concert Orchestra

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

BBC Singers

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Britten Sinfonia

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO)

English National Ballet

Glyndebourne Sinfonia

Halle

Hebrides Ensemble

London Mozart Players

London Philharmonic Orchestra

London Sinfonietta

Manchester Camerata

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House/RBO

Philharmonia Orchestra

Red Note Ensemble

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Scottish Ensemble

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

Sinfonia Viva

Sinfonia Smith Square (formerly Southbank Sinfonia)

Ulster Orchestra

Welsh National Opera