Inclusive Music Consortium wins Music and Drama Education award
The Inclusive Music Consortium, formerly the Take it away Consortium, was honoured at the Music & Drama Education Awards on 23rd March, in recognition of its ongoing work to increase access to musical instruments for disabled children.
The consortium – which includes the six founder members of Creative United, Music for Youth, Open Up Music, Technology in Music Education (TiME) and Youth Music, and the OHMI Trust –won in the Music Teacher Magazine Editor’s Award category. Editor Harriet Clifford nominated the consortium as her choice after having been introduced to its work when she interviewed Creative United CEO Mary-Alice Stack. Of particular interest was its efforts to support the 31,459 children with a physical disability as their primary need who attend a mainstream school in England (2019 figure, according to Department for Education (DfE) statistics).
Joining forces has long been considered the best way to galvanise the individual efforts of each organisation – whether that be improving participation by under-represented groups including those with a disability, gathering musicians for large-scale performances, work in mainstream and special schools, or supporting the manufacture of adapted musical instruments and enabling equipment.
Receiving such national acclaim presents an opportunity for the consortium to reach an even greater audience of musicians and practitioners who are seeking to make music-making truly inclusive for all.
Representatives from Creative United, The OHMI Trust, Youth Music, Music for Youth, Technology in Music Education UK (TiME) and music creator Jo Thomas were in attendance to collect the award on behalf of the consortium. See photos below!
