The Royal College of Music is the only music conservatoire in London to be part of an AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership. Full studentships are awarded to exceptional applicants through the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP), which is comprised of eight top universities and six major cultural organisations, including the RCM. This partnership offers exceptional opportunities for preparing the brightest and best doctoral students from the UK and the EU for successful careers.

The Healthy Conservatoires Network brings together key stakeholders from across UK Conservatoires and wider performing arts sector to assist in maintaining, developing and supporting aspects of health promotion and occupational wellbeing for performing artists.The network builds upon the Healthy Universities project, a highly regarded example of the World Health Organisation’s settings-based approach to health promotion. This approach adopts a whole system perspective and aims to ensure that the places in which people learn, live, work and play facilitate good health and wellbeing. Building upon the success of other settings-based initiatives, such as Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Prisons, Healthy Schools and Healthy Further Education, it has been argued that higher education institutions are important contexts in which to promote public health.In adapting this framework for the UK conservatoire sector, we bring together best practice from the wider fields of health promotion and higher education student support, tailoring it for the particular constraints of learning, teaching and working in the performing arts. Thereby, we aspire to enable a wide range of holistic, strategic and specific health and wellbeing initiatives to be developed across the entire UK conservatoire sector.

• Preparation and delivery of high-level solo recitals aboard luxury cruise ships including Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, requiring excellent public presentation skills and an outstanding level of technical and interpretive artistic capability; • Over 20 contracts completed to date, with consistently high feedback leading to continued contract offers;• Engaging with passengers and audience members through CD signings and the hosting of social events, demanding exceptional interpersonal skills and a highly developed sense of personal presentation; • Liaising with booking agent Gary Parkes Music Ltd towards the organisation of global itineraries and extensive international travel, requiring exceptional diary and time management skills; • Preparation of product through the development of concert programmes, including the selection of appropriate repertoire for audiences of varying discernment, copywriting promotional material and delivering professionally produced content for both printed and online platforms.

Product Development: • Conception, development and distribution of product through independent creative decision-making, requiring long-distance vision and the ability to work towards the completion of a project over a sustained period; • Production of concert programmes and related merchandise, including the independent album release of Romantico via CD and iTunes;• Continued professional development through mentoring with internationally recognised pedagogues, including private studies with Carlos Bonell at the Royal College of Music and Allan Neave at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire.Event Management:• Continued development of product through the delivery of live performances and tours; • Organisation of three UK Tours: 2014 UK Tour, Cathedral Tour; 2015 UK Tour, Classical Guitar Masterworks; 2016 UK Tour, Classical Guitar Artistry; including performances at national venues, including: Winchester Cathedral, Gloucester Cathedral and Ely Cathedral;• Planning itineraries, shaping artistic concepts; liaising with bookers, box office and venue staff, coordinating and attending promotional events, overseeing ticket sales, financial management, organising travel itineraries, BBC Radio interviews and copywriting promotional content. Branding and Marketing:• Development of marketing strategies and related promotional media content including: videos, photographs, posters and blog updates;• Website development, design and maintenance (www.michaelchristiandurrant.com), social media management via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (www.youtube.com/classicalguitarvid); • Applying digital design skills through the use of Adobe Photoshop CS5 to edit photographs, produce artwork and generate promotional content;• Forging strategic alliances with individuals, companies and institutions to increase brand strength.

• Preparation of course content, including defining product guidelines for residential courses: Play Classical Guitar; Play Classical Guitar, Next Step and Music of the Classical Guitar; • Determining daily itineraries, preparation of professional level PowerPoint presentations and corresponding handout material; • Delivery of courses, requiring expert group leadership skills and the ability to present complex ideas clearly, alongside the need for an aptitude to read a group of mixed ability and respond to the needs of individuals as necessary; • Ensuring the wellbeing of clients in a residential context by liaising with venue management and staff;• Managing business administration by liaising with central office, including the production of promotional material through copyrighting content for online and printed formats, and the preparation of invoices and expenses;• Reviewing the success of courses (100% positive feedback to date) in order to enable a sustained delivery at the highest level and ensure continued satisfaction of clients.

• Management of an annual concert season; • Booking artists, liaising with venue management, negotiating fees, overseeing logistics, preparation of contracts, facilitating artist payment, production of promotional material, setting ticket prices, overall creative branding and definition of overall artistic ambition;• Reviewing feedback from audiences to safeguard the success of future events;• Concluded activity due to home relocation and an increasing number of international engagements.

• Establishment and management of a community group; • Group leadership, directing bi-monthly meetings, venue booking, website development, design and management; financial control via collection and management of subscription fees from members; • Organising events and public performances including a concert performance at the 2015 Leeds Flamenco Festival;• Concluded activity due to home relocation and an increasing number of international engagements.

As classical tutor for Language and Music for Life (LMFL) international summer courses I engaged with students in one-one lessons, ensemble classes and oversaw a series of student concert performances. All of these courses were residential and participating students were usually of varying standards. Throughout my time as classical guitar tutor for LMFL, I directed the teaching of classical guitar on the following courses: Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France: 15th – 29th August 2011Venice, Italy - Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello: 9th July – 23rd July 2012Ordino, Andorra: 15th – 29th August 2012Llandovery, Wales: 9th – 28th July 2013Venice, Italy - Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello: 1st – 15th August 2013 In August 2013 I stepped down as classical guitar teacher on the LMFL courses in order to create more space in my diary for my own practice and concert performances.