Beyond the Music chair and co-founder, Rose Marley (pictured, left) urged the music and creative industries to work together and put shared ownership into practice at the opening of the annual conference in Salford this morning.
Marley, who is also Co-operatives UK chief executive called on the creative industries to embrace co-operation as a way to build a fairer future, speaking at the opening of Beyond The Music 2026.
Addressing delegates alongside Beyond the Music co-founders, Oli Wilson and Sarah Person (right and centre), she urged businesses, creators and audiences to use the conference to help shape an industry where people have a say in the decisions that affect them.
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Beyond The Music’s co-operative model brings together organisations, industry professionals and audiences to address unfairness across the creative economy. Co-operatives UK is among its founding members.
Marley said the event offered more than an opportunity to network. It was a chance to put co-operative principles into practice. She said: “A co-operative is any organisation that’s owned and controlled by its members. Beyond The Music, the members are you.
“We all came together and said things aren’t right, things aren’t fair. Can we do something about them? Can Greater Manchester lead the way, because we’ve done it before?”
Rose highlighted how closely connected the creative industries have become. Musicians are also content creators, while film, television and gaming depend on music. Yet these sectors often work separately, despite sharing concerns about fairness, opportunity and control. She called for Beyond The Music to give participants a stronger collective voice and a practical role in finding solutions to these common challenges.
This discussion will continue throughout the conference, culminating on Friday with recently elected Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig speaking about the Manchester principles and why they are being established.
Conference delegates and gig audiences will be invited to opt into membership following the event, with business and audience membership routes reflecting their different roles. Participation is voluntary, with Rose encouraging attendees to share their experiences and help shape future editions. She also drew on Manchester’s history of collective action, recalling how the Music Managers Forum began at In The City in 1992, when Tony Wilson created space for managers to discuss their shared interests.
The message to delegates was to carry that spirit into the next three days: Support one another, contribute ideas and take responsibility for making the event work.
Marley concluded: “Work together, find your way, and let’s make sure that over the next three days… let’s make a difference.”
For Co-operatives UK, Beyond The Music is an opportunity to turn shared concerns into collective action, putting ownership and decision-making in the hands of the people who create, sustain and support the creative industries. The challenge is to carry that ambition beyond the conference and into the way the industry works.
