Music & Drama Education Expo

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Market news

Latest updates from across the market.

Arrival airports

Choose from the following airports, with convenient access to the event and venue.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Music education hub

A regional partnership in England, funded through the Department for Education, that coordinates whole-class instrumental teaching, instrument loans, ensembles and CPD for schools in its area. Hub stands at the Expo are where teachers ask about local ensemble pathways and subsidised instrument hire.

2

Whole-class ensemble teaching (WCET)

A model where a whole primary class learns an instrument together for a school year, usually delivered by a hub or peripatetic team. Exhibitors at the Expo show instruments, method books and schemes built for first-access WCET.

3

Peripatetic teacher

A visiting instrumental or vocal teacher who works across several schools rather than holding one site. Many Expo visitors are peripatetic staff comparing portable resources, exam syllabi and insurance or contract support.

4

Model Music Curriculum

The non-statutory Department for Education guidance published in 2021 setting out what music teaching in Key Stages 1 to 3 can cover. Publishers use it to map their schemes, songbooks and resources to year-group expectations.

5

National Plan for Music Education

The 2022 government plan for music education in England, covering hubs, curriculum time and progression routes. Sessions and supplier positioning at the Expo often reference its priorities.

6

Key Stage (KS1-KS5)

The four national curriculum age bands used in England and Wales. Buyers at the Expo source by key stage, so resources are normally labelled KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4 (GCSE) or KS5 (A level).

7

Graded music exams

Instrumental and vocal grade exams run by boards such as ABRSM, Trinity College London and London College of Music. Stands commonly display the current syllabus books, aural and theory materials and mock-exam resources.

8

GCSE and A level specifications

The exam board syllabi (AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, Eduqas and others) that set set works, composition briefs and performance requirements. Teachers arrive with the current specification to check textbooks, anthologies and revision guides match it.

9

Music Mark

A UK membership body for music education services and schools that supports quality, advocacy and professional networks. Membership and CPD routes are relevant to heads of music planning department subscriptions.

10

Charanga and online scheme subscriptions

Cloud-based music teaching platforms used widely in primary schools for lesson plans, backing tracks and assessment. Renewal and budget conversations about these licences are a common reason primary subject leaders attend.

11

Devising

Creating original theatre as an ensemble rather than working from a published script. It underpins much GCSE and A level drama coursework, and several Expo exhibitors present devising toolkits, stimuli packs and practitioner-led workshops.

12

Physical theatre

Performance built on movement, gesture and ensemble choreography rather than text-led acting. Companies and training providers in this field run practical sessions and sell workshop programmes to secondary drama departments.

13

Theatre in Education (TiE)

Touring professional productions and participatory workshops designed for school audiences. TiE companies use the Expo to book school tours and to sell accompanying teaching resources.

14

Process drama and teacher-in-role

Classroom drama techniques in which the teacher takes a role inside an unfolding fictional situation to drive pupil enquiry. These approaches appear in primary and KS3 drama CPD sessions at the show.

15

LAMDA examinations

Speech, drama and communication grade exams from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, common in schools as an extra-curricular qualification route. Stand materials cover syllabi and teacher training.

16

Technical theatre and production arts

Lighting, sound, set, costume and stage management skills taught on BTEC and vocational routes. Suppliers of rigs, LED fixtures, sound kit and safety training target school and college technicians at the Expo.

17

SEND and accessible music-making

Special educational needs and disabilities provision, including adaptive instruments, sensory-friendly performance practice and accessible notation. This is a growing product area for classroom music and drama suppliers.

18

INSET and CPD

In-service training days and continuing professional development for teachers. Many Expo attendees treat their visit as department CPD and need an agenda and certificate to justify the school day out.

19

Purchase order and school invoicing

The procurement route most UK schools and academy trusts require before paying an invoice. Exhibitors who take POs, issue VAT invoices and quote on official school stationery close far more on-site business.

20

Multi-academy trust (MAT)

A group of schools under one trust with central finance and curriculum leads. MAT buyers often visit together to standardise a scheme, instrument supplier or drama resource across several schools.