IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access)

Leicestershire Music is a Youth Music IDEA champion 2024. They have completed a year-long Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA) learning programme, taken action to improve their IDEA practices, and shown commitment to long-term change.

The IDEA Framework - Further information

IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. For the past 24 years, Youth Music has championed the importance of inclusion in music making and learning. They've collaborated with 8 music hubs (including Leicestershire Music ) to pilot a brand-new accreditation framework. This was conceived to support music organisations to improve their practices.

The framework is designed to create cultural change across multiple areas of music hub work. It's broken down into eight 'pillars' of practice as you can see below.

The IDEA pilot project is currently testing the framework through a year of action research, learning, and peer support. If you'd like to know more, visit www.youthmusic.org.uk/IDEA

The IDEA Framework is cited as good practice in the Arts Council England 'Music Education Hubs: Inclusion Guidance' published on May 12^th 2023.

And the IDEA Framework Summary underpins our work at Leicestershire Music and the Youth Music IDEA Resource List has supported the development of our IDEA work.

Here at Leicestershire Music….

'We believe that a high quality, diverse and innovative musical offer gives children and young people the greatest opportunity to find a pathway through music education which is right for them. We want to create connections between so-called formal, non-formal, and informal approaches to learning. Our responsibility is not just to deliver work, but through partnerships, to also connect the music education and cultural landscape across Leicester-Shire and beyond'.

Leicestershire Music Hub working group 2019

Pledges
We aim to remove the barriers that all young people face throughout their musical journey. We will transform progression pathways and build a more diverse staff to create inclusive working cultures that provide sustainable music making for all. We are committed to make a complete shift in music education.

We pledge to:

1) Work in partnership with schools, partner organisations and parents to drive sustainable change

2) Examine our staff and pupil diversity addressing gaps for under-represented demographics and work towards equalities and diversity at all levels of our organisation.

3) Confront the assumptions made about whose voices are most valued in music education while involving those from under-represented groups

4) Empower and support staff to be positive role models for equality and diversity.

5) Understand the impact of our work on all members of our communities and for our work to reflect the equality and diversity within these communities.

6) Implement at least 3 new actions to help drive diversity and inclusion by January 2022

The protected characteristics covered by the Public-Sector Equality Duty are:

• age • disability • gender reassignment • marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of eliminating unlawful discrimination) • pregnancy and maternity • race – this includes ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality • religion or belief – this includes lack of belief • sex • sexual orientation

Leicestershire Music is part of the Music Education Hubs East Midlands (MEHEM). We are committed to making improvements relating to IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) and we are developing a region-wide IDEA collaborative strategy to take immediate action to improve IDEA outcomes for all young people across the region. Please check out our approach here:

MEHEM link: https://www.mehem.org/about-us/equity-diversity-and-inclusions-edi-our-approach-and-development.aspx

Leicestershire Music has developed its own Strategic plan for IDEA. You can read more here:

Useful IDEA Links & Resources

In March 2023 Sharon Jagdev Powell hosted a panel discussion at the Music and Drama Expo on EDI in the National Plan for Music Education.

Further Reading