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Carnets "Play the World" Grants
Supporting the Orchestra Industry with Easy to Apply for Grants
Each year we award Carnets "Play the World" Grants to Association of British Orchestras (ABO) members that promote the orchestra industry in the United Kingdom through their international tours. The Grants are easy to apply for and cover virtually the entire cost of a Conference registration fee (or travel expenses) averaging £350 per Grant recipient. Chief Executives or Managing Directors, Heads of Orchestral Operations, Concerts & Tours Managers should apply for this monetary award since, in many cases, they would not be able to attend the Annual Conference due to budget constraints.
We began offering these grants for the first time in the U.K. in 2018. Our Carnets "Play the World" Grant program began in the U.S. in 2010 and has increased attendance while providing recipients with an opportunity they may otherwise have been unable to experience and share with their orchestras. If you click on "Prior Grant Recipients" you'll find recipients from years past and their brief comments about the opportunity.
Please note these grants are offered to help with booking fees to the ABO's annual conference as well as the League of American Orchestra's (LOAO) annual conference. Eligible ABO members may apply for a grant to help with the registration costs to the LOAO annual conference in 2026.
Download Grant Application
Prior Grant Recipients
Grant Application for the League of American Orchestras
"Attending the ABO Conference as Executive Director of BCMG gave me the opportunity to strengthen strategic partnerships and engage directly with leading figures in orchestra management and international touring. The networking sessions and discussions with peers provided critical insight into audience development and new funding models directly relevant to BCMG’s mission and growth. Through this “Play the World” grant, Boomerang Carnets has enabled me to meet international contemporary music ensembles, explore new global collaborations, and share best practice in governance and organisational development, all of which supports BCMG’s long-term resilience, artistic ambition, and international impact."
Hedd Thomas – 2026 Grant Recipient, Executive Director, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Details of the Carnets "Play the World" Grant are:
- Chief Executives, Concert & Tours Managers, Heads of Orchestral Operations from ABO member orchestras are eligible.
- Awards are given to orchestras with a history of international touring or that have an international tour scheduled for a future date. An orchestra and individual recipient are not eligible for the grant more than once every 5 years. One Grant is awarded per orchestra.
- The grant is for the Association of British Orchestras or the League of American Orchestras annual Conference booking fee or comparable travel expense (if applicable) to the Conference.
- The grant application will be available online several months prior to the annual Conference.
Grant recipients agree to:
- provide Boomerang Carnets® with a copy of their ABO or LOAO Conference booking form
or applicable receipt following notification of the awarded grant,
- be available for a photo during the Conference Exhibit hours,
- pick up their grant check during the Conference Exhibit hours
(if applicable, if not other arrangements will be made)
- provide a brief (3-5 sentences) written summary of the benefits of attendance
at Conference
2026 Grant Recipients with Curt Wilson, boomerang carnets UK Managing Director
L-R: Hedd Thomas, Executive Director of the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Maddi Belsey-Day, Planning & Tours Manager of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and The Hallé Concerts Society's Bekah Cork, Concerts Director and David Butcher, Chief Executive
L-R: Chrissy Kinsella, Chief Executive of the London Mozart Players, Mark Deering, Orchestra Manager of Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Brighdie Chambers, Orchestra Manager of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
See more.
Quotes from Grant Recipients:
The ABO Conference is a hugely important annual event for the Arts sector, where colleagues across the country (and further afield) can all come together to discuss a large variety of topics and delve into issues that we often don’t have time to think about in our daily work lives. I am lucky enough to be representing the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at this year’s conference, and I am extremely grateful to Boomerang Carnets for their generous “Play the World” Grant for supporting me. At a time when the Arts funding is stretched, support from companies such as Boomerang Carnets is invaluable to everyone. - Maddi Belsey-Day, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
I thoroughly enjoyed attending the ABO 2026 Conference and found it an invaluable opportunity for me (as an orchestra manager) to network with other professionals in this sector. I gained many new insights into the sector-wide challenges orchestras face, ideas about flexible and collaborative artistic direction models, and future government policy changes likely to impact the sector in the UK. The conference was also a wonderful opportunity to meet new suppliers and exchange practical operational solutions with peers in roles similar to mine. - Mark Deering, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
It was wonderful to be able to attend the ABO conference in London last week - although I have worked in the arts most of my career, I only recently took over as CEO of London Mozart Players, and so this was my first experience of attending the ABO. It was a wonderful experience - not only were the sessions varied, interesting and relevant, but it was the perfect opportunity to network with peers across the sector, catch up with old friends and meet new ones. It was also great to realise that although everyone has similar challenges and concerns, there is so much fantastic, inspiring and innovative work happening. I am already looking forward to next year! - Chrissy Kinsella, London Mozart Players
The Annual ABO Conference is a key moment in every Arts Administrator's calendar, as a moment to step back from day to day, reconnect with colleagues old and new across the sector and to think strategically about our industry and how we fit into it. Boomerang Carnets have supported the Hallé to enable more of our leadership to have this time to connect with our colleagues across the UK and to ask questions of the industry to help fuel our collective survival for years to come. - Bekah Cork, Hallé Concerts Society
For further details please contact Moira Wilson, Grant Program Coordinator.