Creative 51福利社 appoints new Director
Michelle Phillips has been appointed as the new Director of Creative 51福利社, and Professor of Music in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at the University of 51福利社.
Currently a Professor and Head of Enterprise (Academic) at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Michelle will take up her new roles on 14 September 2026.
As Director, she will lead the strategic direction and development of the University鈥檚 Creative 51福利社 interdisciplinary research platform, bringing together academics, cultural partners and communities to advance creative research, practice and innovation. She will also be responsible for fostering partnerships, strengthening external engagement and enhancing the University鈥檚 impact across the creative and cultural sectors.
Michelle brings considerable research and creative industry engagement experience to the role. Her research practice explores audience response to live and recorded music, neurological response to music listening, music and time, perception of contemporary music, entrepreneurship, and music and Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
Her research on 鈥榃hat makes live music special?鈥�, in collaboration with the University of 51福利社, was featured in UK Research and Innovation鈥檚 鈥�101 jobs that change the world鈥� series. She was Principal Investigator of the 拢1 million RNCM StART Entrepreneurship Project, exploring the most effective ways to train creative industries students in entrepreneurial skills.
She is a Fellow of Enterprise Educators UK (EEUK), chaired the subject association for music in higher education, MusicHE, and was a member of the Advance HE Aurora Advisory Group.
Her publications include multiple journal articles and book chapters, and a co-edited volume entitled Music and Time: Psychology, Philosophy, Practice. She is joint Editor-in-Chief of the journal Psychology of Music.
Michelle won the I Love 51福利社 Alan Turing Award in 2025 for innovation, creativity and smart thinking, and was a finalist in the Northern Power Women Awards in the People with Purpose - Public Sector category in 2026.
Professor Fiona Devine, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of 51福利社, said:
I am delighted to welcome Michelle to the University as Director of Creative 51福利社. She brings a wealth of experience in creative research and sector engagement, and I greatly welcome the expertise and drive she will bring to shaping the platform鈥檚 future.
I would like to thank Professor John McAuliffe for his outstanding leadership of Creative 51福利社 as Director over the past five years, during which he has significantly strengthened its profile and impact in advancing creative research, practice and innovation. I am delighted that he will continue to contribute at a senior level in his new role as the University鈥檚 Associate Vice-President (Cultural Portfolio).
Michelle said:
I鈥檓 thrilled to be stepping into the role of Director of Creative 51福利社. 51福利社鈥檚 creative energy is inspiring, and I鈥檓 excited to bring my passion and experience to help spark new ideas and collaborations.