Nod Knowles - CV Overview
Nod Knowles' career in music and arts management has spanned the entire spectrum of the music sector - from folk music to opera - and he has undertaken a significant number of roles within the arts sector overall, from musician to arts council policy maker.
With a long-term special interest in jazz, folk and world musics, Nod has also covered areas of classical music, opera and rock/pop music in significant depth as a consultant, promoter, artistic director, festival CEO, assessor, researcher and adviser. He has also dealt with strategic and policy making in all areas of music and in the arts in general, including in music and arts education, especially in his seven years as Head of Music for the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) and in his most recent six-year role as CEO of Bath Festivals Ltd.
As Head of Music at SAC Nod produced reviews and reports on 20+ regularly funded organisations and lottery-funded projects. He oversaw the 'Advancement' reorganisation/restructuring scheme for, inter alia, Scottish Opera, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Music Information Centre and the BT Scottish Ensemble. He also researched and wrote reports to the Scottish Executive on the future of Scottish Opera.
Significantly Nod Knowles researched and devised a long-term strategy for music in Scotland for SAC - covering all genres of music and voluntary/amateur as well as professional activities. This strategy included the development of music industry initiatives. It also embraced music education development work, through initial research and advocacy, in what became the Youth Music Initiative, accessing substantial additional funds from the Scottish Executive.
At SAC Nod liased closely with other UK arts councils, including ACNI, as well as cultural authorities in various countries abroad. This broader view was compounded by his active role in Europe Jazz Network (EJN) and its Board of Directors, which he joined in 2003 before being elected President in 2005. As President he led the organisation from a purely voluntary body (with no paid employees and only membership fees from approximately 30 members) to a professionally staffed organisation as at January 2011 with 79 members from 24 European countries and long-term funding from the European Commission. The work with EJN has brought him experience and skills in formulating strategic plans for a fast-growing international network, researching and assessing the needs of disparate nationalities and memberships and negotiating with funding bodies at European level.
As CEO of Bath Festivals Ltd Nod Knowles focussed on change management, financial planning and strategic development for a company with a broad artistic and community remit and a very direct relationship with the local authority and Arts Council England. This experience has contributed to his rounded view of the circumstances and operation of arts organisations within political and wider social communities.
Nod Knowles - Skills Overview
To his role in arts and music consultancy, Nod Knowles brings:
- A broad knowledge of the operation of the music and arts sectors.
- Clear experience and understanding of the role and operation of funding bodies.
- A specialist knowledge and network in non-classical areas of music.
- A European and broader international view of music provision.
- Senior experience in research into most areas of music and in the arts in general.
- Senior management experience in public bodies and independent organisations.
- Senior experience of consulting on and developing policy and strategy.
- Analytical skill in creating viable and logical strategic frameworks for music and organisational development.
- An objective ability to research and comprehend areas of work from basic level to substantial insight in a short period of time.
- Insight and experience in liaising with and understanding the priorities of national and local government and their agencies and partner institutions, both at senior and political levels.
- Significant experience in analysing research and drafting comprehensive and comprehensible planning and strategy documents.
For more information see the detailed CV.
