New body will target music fans to help boost the region's tourist trade

A new Sheffield City Region Music Board is being planned Jarvis in a bid to project the South Yorkshire region's music talent and venues onto the 'national and international stage' with the aim of boosting tourism.
Tourism potential: Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis wants to target music venues to generate more tourismTourism potential: Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis wants to target music venues to generate more tourism
Tourism potential: Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis wants to target music venues to generate more tourism

Mr Jarvis, who is also the Barnsley Central MP, wants the body to work in partnership with an organisation called UK Music, which acts as an '˜umbrella' to support the overall interests of the UK music industry.

It is a partnership which would bring him back into professional contact with a former Parliamentary colleague, Michael Dugher, who served as Barnsley East MP before leaving the Commons to become chief executive officer of UK Music.

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It is proposed that councillors from the councils within Sheffield City Region will serve on the board and Coun Sharon Howard, Barnsley Council's Cabinet member without portfolio, is being proposed to represent the town.

A report to Barnsley Council's Cabinet states: 'The intention is to partner with UK Music in order to promote the City Region's music talent and venues on the national and international stage.

'Whilst the detailed remit of the board would be the subject of discussion at its first meeting when established, the Mayor anticipates that this will focus on education and skills, music venues and supporting infrastructure and exploring how the City Region's strengths could be used to grow the visitor economy.'

In addition to the four South Yorkshire Councils, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales and North East Derbyshire all fall into the City Region and have been invited to nominate members to sit on the board.

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It is also expected that others who could play a constructive role on the board be invited to join, with a proposal from Barnsley Council that an officer from its economic regeneration unit should also be involved.

The South Yorkshire region has a thriving music scene, with events like the Tramlines festival in Sheffield growing enormously, though there are challenges from competition such as the music arena in Leeds, which is regarded by some as direct competitor to Sheffield's East End arena.