Music education for people with learning disabilities
Music education for people with learning disabilities
Author
Introduction
Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities were revealed as the most under-served of all children by school music departments and music education hubs in a recent government report. Schools lack the necessary skills, resources and confidence to deliver effective music provision that is inclusive and targeted for children and young people with learning disabilities. In addition, economic pressure and the recent pandemic have led to a reduction in the provision of disability arts and culture programmes for adults, although these can improve social skills and mental wellbeing.
2022 Award
David Stanley (CF 2019) is the founder and CEO of The Music Man Project, an award-winning international music education charity for people with disabilities. Over the past twenty years, he has delivered music workshops and presented concerts featuring people with learning disabilities all over the UK; has created award-winning original music and teachers’ resources for inclusive music education; and has championed the interests of people with disabilities in his role as the Government’s Disability and Access Ambassador for Arts and Culture.
David has been awarded one of our Activate grants to expand this work and raise its profile across government, the private sector and the arts and culture sectors in the UK. The funding will act as a personal stipend for David to reduce the hours he gives to his teaching job and allow him to give more time to this project over a 24-month period. During this time, David will increase the number and range of public performances featuring musicians with learning disabilities; improve the quality of instruments and equipment available to them; create a bespoke training programme of disability inclusion for the private sector; and facilitate research and collaboration between Higher Education music providers and disability organisations. David will also work to influence government policy in his Ambassador role and will work with his marketing partner, TEAM LEWIS, to raise awareness of this issue via the national media, events, concerts and speaking engagements.
Through this work, David hopes to establish a gold standard of accessible arts and culture for the whole of the country, with learning-disabled role models at its centre.
David’s Fellowship explored accessible music education and performance opportunities for the learning disabled and was supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation.
2022 Award
David Stanley (CF 2019) is the founder and CEO of The Music Man Project, an award-winning international music education charity for people with disabilities. Over the past twenty years, he has delivered music workshops and presented concerts featuring people with learning disabilities all over the UK; has created award-winning original music and teachers’ resources for inclusive music education; and has championed the interests of people with disabilities in his role as the Government’s Disability and Access Ambassador for Arts and Culture.
David has been awarded one of our Activate grants to expand this work and raise its profile across government, the private sector and the arts and culture sectors in the UK. The funding will act as a personal stipend for David to reduce the hours he gives to his teaching job and allow him to give more time to this project over a 24-month period. During this time, David will increase the number and range of public performances featuring musicians with learning disabilities; improve the quality of instruments and equipment available to them; create a bespoke training programme of disability inclusion for the private sector; and facilitate research and collaboration between Higher Education music providers and disability organisations. David will also work to influence government policy in his Ambassador role and will work with his marketing partner, TEAM LEWIS, to raise awareness of this issue via the national media, events, concerts and speaking engagements.
Through this work, David hopes to establish a gold standard of accessible arts and culture for the whole of the country, with learning-disabled role models at its centre.
David’s Fellowship explored accessible music education and performance opportunities for the learning disabled and was supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation.