Sunderland Music Hub is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Jinski as the new Chair of our Board.

Steve is an experienced musician and music educator with a particular expertise in musical inclusion, ensuring children and young people who experience challenging circumstances are able to access and fully participate in a relevant music education offer. As the former Head of Musical Inclusion at Sage Gateshead, Steve has experience in strategic development of musically inclusive practices, including supporting the workforce and wider network of music education organisations. Steve is currently a freelance music education consultant working across communities in Newcastle and the North East and contributing to national discourse on inclusive music practices.

Steve has sat on the Sunderland Music Hub Board for five years, but takes up the role of Chair at a pivotal time as Sunderland Music Hub looks ahead at a five year strategy that will put musical inclusion at the heart of our work and strives to make Sunderland the best city to be a young musician and music-lover, regardless of background or circumstance.

Steve Jinski said ‘I am absolutely delighted to take up this role and excited to be part of an innovative and forward-thinking team that champions musical inclusion and equality of opportunity for all young people in Sunderland’

Lizzie Nixon, Music Hub Manager, said, ‘We’re delighted that Steve will be taking up the role of Chair of the Music Hub Board. This is a really exciting time for us at Sunderland Music Hub as we look to the future of the Hub and the projects, programmes and practices that will make up our offer. The experience that Steve brings to the role is invaluable to us at this time of change and development in our practice and portfolio of work, and I’m personally very much looking forward to working with him on this over the coming years.’