Teenage music leaders in Redcar, child-minders in Stanley, under 5s in Peterlee, instrumental teachers in Darlington, Year 6 students in Newcastle, and community musicians in Gateshead are just some of the people involved in debating, exploring and learning through The Sage Gateshead’s 'Access to Excellence' programme.
Growing out of a range of innovative music learning and participation programmes developed by The Sage Gateshead across the Northeast and Cumbria since 2001, including CoMusica (the Northeast Youth Music Action Zone) and extensive singing, professional training and Early Years activities, Access to Excellence is developing action research and delivery partnerships between Music Services, class teachers, musicians, and voluntary and community networks in order to create the very best music-making opportunities and progression routes for children and young people across the region, in support of the five aims of the Music Manifesto.
Establishing strong partnerships with our nine Music Services has been key to setting up the programme. Since its launch in October 06, we have initiated a whirlwind of debate, discussion, discovery and negotiation, bringing a wide range of stakeholders and partners together across our region to develop shared goals and projects. There’s been a very warm response to the programme right across the region.
Four Core Strands
There are four core strands within the programme - Creative Transitions, Vocal Union, Durham Families Making Music and the overarching Workforce Development strand. Delivery has started in some of the projects, with the summer term seeing a ramping-up of activity, followed by some summer school-activity, and then we head into nearly two academic years on full throttle from September 06.
Key Contacts:
Katherine Zeserson, Director of Learning and Participation
katherine.zeserson@thesagegateshead.org
Sarah Kekus, Head of Schools Programme (Vocal Union)
sarah.kekus@thesagegateshead.org
Bex Mather, Head of Community Programme (Creative Transitions)
bex.mather@thesagegateshead.org
Steph Brandon, Head of Early Years and Family Learning Programme (Durham Families Making Music)
steph.brandon@thesagegateshead.org
Wendy Smith, Head of Practitioner Development Programme (Workforce Development)
wendy.smith@thesagegatsehead.org