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Learning revolutionaries – Learning Without Frontiers
I went to a conference put on by these people about a year ago and it both encapsulated all I believe about learning, and challenged my assumptions about how I think about learning. It was completely inspiring and fried my brain. I wish I’d blogged about it at the time but they’ve just released a…
Read MoreArts advocacy – stepping up a gear?
It looks as if arts advocacy campaigning in the UK will be stepping up a gear this year. Not only are the funding cuts forcing us all to look long and hard at the true value of what we do, and to get even better at collecting and sharing evidence and stories – but a…
Read MoreHow to create and write an effective e-newsletter
If you want to communicate more effectively with the people you work with/for (whether they’re customers, fans, staff, participants or stakeholders), email newsletters are a great place to start. Write them well, and your audience will look forward to receiving them, value what you have to say, buy from you or get involved, and even…
Read MoreAspiration, achievement and school improvement – heads say music can make the difference
In the next 12 months, as music education hubs form, the National Music Plan gets underway, and the government’s review of the national curriculum is published, head teacher support for music education will be crucial. In the first of a two-part series for Music Education UK, I spoke to secondary heads whose leadership and support…
Read MoreHow to make your music hub business plan an easier, more convincing, read
Your business plan is the blueprint for your organisation’s future. It communicates and shares your goals and values, and helps potential funders and supporters to understand how you will deliver on their goals and priorities, as well as your own. It is a critically important document and for that reason it needs to be a…
Read MoreCreative practitioners and communities: raising standards in Wales
What do the words ‘community artist’, ‘artist working in the community’ or ‘artist working in a participatory setting’ mean to you? It’s easier to focus on what they have in common: using their skills/artform to help other people to get actively in involved in the arts. But beyond that, there’s a myriad of different ways…
Read More26 Treasures: bringing objects to life through poems and creation stories
If you like poems and stories, and you’re curious about the treasures we have in our national museums, take a look at www.26treasures.com or www.unbound.co.uk/books/26-treasures. Each poem or ‘sestude’ tells the story of an object from a museum, often from the point of view of the object – the aim is to encourage people to…
Read MoreWorth the wait? The National Plan for Music Education in England
Following is my summary of the NPME, written for Music Education UK magazine and website. The full piece includes comments from practitioners and authorities on music education, including school teacher Jackie Schneider, education consultant David Price, music/culture/education campaigner Marc Jaffrey and representatives from Youth Music, Sound Sense, and many other organisations working in music with young…
Read MoreSeven tips for advocating what music means to your school
If you’re a music teacher, trying to keep up with all the changes in education is one thing. Making sure what’s going on in your music lessons and activities is noticed and valued is probably one of those ‘to dos’ at the bottom of an ever-increasing list. There are lots of rumblings about the need…
Read MoreHow to find out what young people really want from music education
With the national music education plan out hopefully early next week, local authority music services and others hoping to become part of the new music education ‘hubs’ will have to find ways to demonstrate what young people in their area want and need. It’s a tricky one, particularly for music services who have been used…
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