Rate My Professor Sean Gregory

Professor Sean Gregory is Vice Principal and Director of Innovation, Engagement & Lifelong Learning at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he is responsible for the development and delivery of collaborative, socially engaged, and wider lifelong learning programmes. As a composer, performer, and creative producer, he has led participatory arts projects for all ages and abilities in association with numerous British and international orchestras, opera companies, theatres, galleries, and arts education organisations. Throughout his career at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Barbican Centre, Gregory has held key positions including Director of Creative Learning, Head of the Centre for Creative and Professional Practice, and Head of Professional Development. He established and directed the Guildhall Connect programme, which pioneered music leadership and creative ensemble activity with young people in East London and was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005.

Gregory’s academic interests centre on creative practices in music and social engagement, lifelong learning in music, musicians engaging with new audiences, collaboration, connectivity, and creativity, as well as the development of professional 'portfolio' musicians. His key publications include 'Creative practices in music and social engagement: Reflections on a Brazilian experience' (2024, with H. Feichas), 'Journeys of Lifelong Learning in Music: Musicians engaging with new audiences' (2021, with R. Smilde), ''The 'Golden Thread': A Lifelong Learning Continuum for Creative Practitioners Working “Without Boundaries"' (2020), 'Unleashed: Collaboration, Connectivity and Creativity' in Beyond Britten: The Composer and the Community (2015, edited with P. Wiegold), 'We lack a strong enough workforce of professional "portfolio" musicians' (The Guardian, 2015), 'Creative Learning across the Barbican-Guildhall Campus: A new paradigm for engaging with the arts?' (2013, with P. Renshaw), 'Collaborative approaches: putting colour in a grey area' (International Journal of Community Music, 2010), 'Engaged Passions, Searches for Quality in Community Contexts' (2010), and contributions to The Reflective Conservatoire: Studies in Music Education (2005). These works underscore his influence on music education, community music practices, and professional development in the field.