So, the UK-CMA is launched, but that’s literally just the start of it. You might be wondering what we’d like to see happen in the next five years, and where do we see ourselves in 2030?
Well, we’ve already got several magnificent festivals we’ll be attending this year, ranging from the enormous (Country2Country, The Long Road) to the boutique (Buckle & Boots) and the snug (Country in The Afternoon). At these events UK-CMA volunteers will talking to the community, spreading news of our aims and building membership. But what else is on the to-do list?
One year from now it will be C2C 2026. By this time, the UK-CMA hope to have a healthy membership base, with members having elected the 2026/2027 board, and having started to build a reputation for delivering exactly what we promise. This includes a well-regarded Academy with regular workshops and online events running monthly. Ultimately, we want UK-CMA to be the premier organisation for UK country music, especially for learning and development.
By the time we get to C2C 2027, in two years’ time, we want to keep up the good work in the first year of the Academy, with more people coming to events and attending workshops. Some of these members may be getting mainstream UK radio airplay (which is one of our founding missions) plus we hope the quality of music and performance will be exciting folks outside of the UK country scene. The UK-CMA will be financially stable and, in a position to expand on what we offer to members. We will also have spent the first couple of years cultivating good relationships with other music related associations both at home and overseas.
When we reach 2030, five years from now, we see our goals being a mix of both domestic and international activities. For example, by that time we might have seen one or more UK artists play the main stage at Country2Country. Such artists should also be played regularly on radio stations in the UK and across the world. Such playlisting will help them tour overseas too.
Above all, the UK-CMA hopes that UK Country will become a much-appreciated genre of music that has grown beyond a niche concern. We will do whatever we can to help realise this vision.
