Page 72 - RPS Awards 2023 Coverage Book

Manchester Collective’s win in the Ensemble category was well-deserved too.
Raki Singh and Adam Szabo have not only established a new and distinctive
ensemble for a whole new audience, but also built the brand’s UK-wide
reputation in a relatively short space of time.

Raki Singh and Adam Szabo from Manchester Collective

Several months before recording a podcast about Manchester Collective, I met
Adam. He and Raki clearly had already established a strong connection to the
industry. I was struck both by their inclusiveness – reaching out to all manner
of writers, influencers, and other like-minded souls Their clear consistently
articulated vision was thought-provoking. That MC’s rise has been swift is in
no small part down to both him and Raki building effective networks of allies
in the industry putting their passion front and centre in conversations. That’s
a case study in authentic leadership that builds space in the cultural landscape
for an iconoclastic product without alienating the industry.

I was also pleased to see The Multi-Story Orchestra collaboration with South
East London schoolkids – The Endz acknowledged in the Impact category. Last
year, I saw firsthand how the work of a handful of passionate workshop
facilitators empowered young people who wanted to tell a personal story.
Here again, the vision driving Multi-Story’s co-creation was articulated with
clarity by Artistic Director Kate Whitley. This was not an educational ‘project’
or imposing music on the people of South East London, but Multi-Story
dynamically responding. I remember feeling reassured about the impact of