Workforce Development has emerged as the core of the whole Access to Excellence programme – the skeleton around which all the partnership research and practice can be built. This strand aims to create and sustain a motivated, inspirational, diverse workforce, able to offer a rich landscape of music-making opportunities with entry points and progression routes at all levels across all genres.
We’re committed to establishing and sustaining supportive, constructively critical, outward-looking peer development networks - through Music Leader Northeast (directed and delivered by The Sage Gateshead) we’ve set up networks focusing on singing, percussion, folk music, steel pans and music technology, as well as four sub-regional, cross genre networks;
Our Co-Equal training programmefocuses on class-room teachers, instrumental teachers and community musicians working together. The Sage Gateshead and the regional Music Servicesare developing a partnership through which we’ve agreed strategic objectives around whole class instrumental teaching at key stage 2 and key stage 3, as well as a joint programme of CPD and training for music service staff and community musicians. We’re heading for a major joint CPD day event at The Sage Gateshead in May 2007 – watch this space.
Vocal Remedies, an element of Vocal Union, involves school staff in the creation of vocal ensembles; engaging them in the excitement of music making, and in promoting mutual respect and understanding between young people and staff. At the beginning of the first Vocal Remedies session in a primary school in Northumberland, which included teachers, the head, the school nurse, a nursery nurse and the school secretary, most of the group said they were “very, very nervous”. Many felt they should ‘keep their mouth firmly shut’. After spending ten minutes warming up and just from humming together they were amazed by how good we sounded. The group managed to sing three songs simultaneously and were absolutely thrilled with themselves and looking forward to the next session.
Leadership Development is a key element of our Workforce Development Programme. As part of this, we recently ran our fourth Ways into Workshops weekend in partnership with More Music in Morecambe. This was an opportunity for practitioners in Tees Valley and Durham to explore different approaches to music leadership, curriculum delivery and community music and we were delighted with the mix of people attending – instrumental teachers, class teachers, performing musicians, and students. A Training DVD, What it Means to be a Community Musician, is being produced from footage filmed during Ways into Workshops covering topics such as: how a music leader inspires groups to make music; open and closed activities; task setting; call and response; conducting; leadership styles.
We’ve also set up a programme of non formal apprenticeships in music leadership; developed a specific strand of Early Years training; set up a mentor programme for all our musicians and associated practitioners involving Peter Renshaw as a critical friend; established a Primary music network in partnership with Music Services and in consultation with class room teachers; and developed an innovative, high level strategic leadership training programme for musicians and managers. This autumn we’ll be launching our Open Laboratory programme –residencies designed to give teachers time out of the classroom to explore and develop their own musical lives as well as to work alongside community musicians in both in and out of school contexts in a co-equal, peer exchange framework.
Every musician a teacher, every teacher a musician
We’ve all got something to learn and something to teach - and The Sage Gateshead’s Access to Excellence Music Manifesto Pathfinder programme is helping the Northeast and Cumbria build a powerful musical coalition to support every child in making their music matter, in making the very best of their musical lives, and in securing the future of music in all of our lives.