Karen Boardman, Music Development Manager

Posted on 13 Oct 2025

From the early days of Joy Division and the Hacienda to shaping Rochdale’s growing music scene, Karen Boardman has always believed in the power of culture to transform people and places.
                               
With a career that’s taken her from London Records to Arts Council England and back home to Greater Manchester, Karen brings energy, experience, and an unwavering belief that Rochdale’s best music stories are still to come.

Tell me a bit about yourself

My name’s Karen Boardman. I actually started out at British Telecom when I left school at 16, but my career took a completely different turn when my mate was seeing the bass player from a little local band called Stiff Kittens, who went on to become Warsaw, then Joy Division, and ultimately New Order. That connection changed everything for me.

I went on to work at The Haçienda in its early days, when it was still a live music venue. It was an incredible experience, I saw bands like Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, and of course, New Order. Even though I was just working behind the bar, I used to come in early to help the bands load-in their kit. I couldn’t sing or play an instrument, but I remember thinking, “Hang on a minute - there’s someone carrying stuff, and that’s a job. There’s someone pointing, and I can point! There must be a job for me somewhere.”

I got to know the people who made live music happen, the sound engineers, the tour managers, the crew, and realised there was a whole world of creative jobs around the artists. That’s where I wanted to be.
I moved to London, taught myself to type, and landed a job at London Records, working in sales and marketing. We had artists like Fine Young Cannibals, Voice of the Beehive and Salt-N-Pepa. It was an incredible time to be in the industry. I eventually moved into artist management, looking after both American and UK acts, and spent over a decade managing bands and running a music management company.

After returning to Manchester to raise my children, I became involved in creative industry development, supporting local music networks and helping emerging talent secure funding. The local authority was delivering a funded project, the Manchester City Music Network, as part of an initiative called CIDS (Creative Improvement Districts). It explored the soft power of creativity and how music can change a place. I firmly believe that’s why a lot of that second wave of artists, like Oasis, The Fall, and James, emerged. We didn’t just have great artists in Manchester, we had the infrastructure to support them. It was the ’90s, a fantastic time to be in music, especially in Manchester!

After this, I went on to have my own management company for the next 12 years, we managed a lot of local artists, they all went on to secure record deals, including JP Cooper who is still with Island Records.  We had quite a nice little business, but my business partner decided to move to the south coast so we both decided it was time for a change.  For me that led to a role with Arts Council England as Relationship Manager for Music, a job I did for eight years before joining the RDA. 

What is your role with the RDA?

I’m the Music Development Manager at the RDA, and my job is all about strengthening Rochdale’s music scene, supporting local artists, developing music businesses, connecting musicians and music organisations, and raising the borough’s musical profile.

Initially, I was brought in to deliver Rochdale Creates: Sound Futures, funded by Arts Council England. But I quickly realised that before we could plan anything long-term, I needed to know who was already here. So, I started mapping Rochdale’s music community, artists, bands, venues, and organisations, and I was blown away by what I found.

There are over 80 active bands and artists, more than 60 venues, and a huge variety of organisations doing brilliant things. The foundations for a thriving music ecosystem are already here; it just needed someone to connect the dots.

Right now, a big focus for me is delivering projects as part of Rochdale’s Town of Culture year, from new festivals and live music events to supporting grassroots initiatives and skills development.

I still sit on the Greater Manchester Music Commission, which looks at what’s happening across all 10 boroughs and how we can link up and work together.

Rochdale has a proud musical past, but its future is just as exciting. The talent is here, the venues are here, and the passion is definitely here. My job is to help connect it all and make sure the rest of Greater Manchester - and beyond - sees what Rochdale has to offer.

Why did you choose to work with the RDA?

After years in the industry and at Arts Council England, I wanted to get back to a more boots on the ground role to support growth at a local level. When this opportunity came up, it felt like the perfect fit.

Rochdale has a rich musical heritage, from Gracie Fields, Lisa Stansfield to Autechre, and there’s a real energy here right now. The RDA team’s passion and creativity really appealed to me tooI. It’s full of people with big ideas and genuine ambition for the borough.

What projects do you work on?

At the moment, my main project is Rochdale Music Stories, which celebrates the borough’s incredible musical history while showcasing its new talent.

We’ve chosen ten classic tracks recorded in Rochdale’s legendary Cargo Studios (later Suite 16, now VoltaLab Sound Studios), from Joy Division to The Happy Mondays, and invited local artists to reimagine them. The response was amazing: 75 applications, whittled down to 14 who are now recording at VoltaLab.

We’re also developing new live music events like Spot Fest, a brand-new festival at Spotland Mills in collaboration with Defiance Distillery, Twisted Mule and Mill About with a brilliant local promoter Eloise, and working with venues in Heywood to launch a night-time market with live music.

Another strand of my work is one-to-one artist support. I’ve run over 60 advice sessions with local musicians, helping them with funding bids, industry connections, and career development. It’s often the part of my job I enjoy most, because you can see the direct impact it has.

I’m also collaborating with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the GM Music Commission, making sure Rochdale’s voice is part of the wider regional music offer.

What do you really enjoy about your profession?

It’s the people. I love working with creative, passionate individuals who are trying to make things happen. Music is about emotion and energy, and I get to work in that space every day. Helping an artist or promoter take an idea and turn it into something real never gets old.

I also love that I can bring my industry experience into this role. Having worked in management, at record labels, and with venues and promoters, I understand the challenges people face. It gives me authenticity when I offer support, because I’ve been there, done that and bought the T-shirt!

What makes you get up in the morning?

The sense that we’re building something lasting. I genuinely believe that culture and creativity can transform a place, they bring people together, give young people hope, and attract new visitors and investment.

Seeing Rochdale embrace that, and being part of the team driving it forward, is incredibly motivating.

For me, it’s about making culture central to regeneration, not an afterthought. Music brings identity, confidence, and pride. When people feel proud of their place, they invest in it -emotionally, socially, and economically.

Tell me something people don’t know about you

I still manage a band, a brilliant all-female punk group who are passionate about getting more women into music. We run a project called Kick Like a Girl, which opens up soundchecks to young women so they can see behind the scenes and demystify what happens at gigs. It’s all about representation and confidence, showing that the music industry is for everyone.

I’m also a bit of a mad equestrian - I have a horse and ride Western style! The new Rochdale Cowgirl!