CLICK HERE FOR Application Form

The Art of Inclusion training 2025:
Using your artistic practice to support equality teaching in schools

The Art of Inclusion training gave me a new perspective on approaching inclusivity and equality in my work with young people and it was really interesting to see this across a range of creative fields.

Trainee

Overview

Are you an artist who wants to work more with young people and in schools? Are you interested in using your practice to support learning across the curriculum? Do you want to help increase understanding about diversity through the arts? Whether you’re already working in schools or it’s completely new, HMDT Music wants to help you!

All schools are required to support their students to develop age-appropriate knowledge and understanding of diversity during their time at the school, and The Department for Education suggests that teaching on these matters should be integrated appropriately into the curriculum, rather than addressed separately or in one-off lessons. Despite this, many schools across the country compartmentalise their teaching of diversity, focussing on national focus points such as Black History Month.

Creativity is one of the best ways of helping young people understand the views and experiences of others, and is well suited to integration with other subjects for cross-curricular learning. If you’re an artist interested in using your practice to help young people develop their understanding of diversity and inclusion, we’d like to hear from you.

In this course, artists will be invited to explore how they can use their artistic practice to support this in schools. Facilitated by expert workshop leaders and drawing from examples of HMDT Music’s award-winning work in this area, participants will be taught skills for engaging young people in art-making to help teach diversity. As part of the course, participants will be offered mentoring and practical experience in schools to apply their learning.

We welcome applications from all areas of artistic practice, including music, drama, visual arts, dance and more. We are particularly interested to hear from artists whose background and experience will allow them to speak authentically about inclusion and diversity with young people, including Global Majority artists, those with disabilities, and those whose artistic practice already addresses these themes.

I had a fantastic time during the workshops; they’ve provided me with a deeper understanding and expertise in crafting inclusive creative workshops. 

Trainee

Facilitators

The lead facilitators for this course are Jo Carey (drama facilitator) and Sophie Gresswell (visual artist), both experienced leaders within their disciplines. Other contributors will be confirmed in due course.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Who is the course for?

This course is for practicing artists. Support for transport costs are available for people living outside of London. We welcome artists from any discipline who have the desire to deliver work in schools and increase young people’s understanding of diversity and inclusion.

Dates and Locations

Training takes place in-person on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 February 2025, 10:00 – 17:00 at Bridge Academy E2

Placement days in schools take place between Monday 3 and Friday 7 March 2025 – trainees are expected to attend one day, confirmed on offer.

*Support towards transport costs are available for artists living outside of London

Bursaries

There is no cost to attend the scheme. A £250 bursary is offered to all attendees, covering 2 days of in-person training and 1 day of placement activity in a primary school, including mentoring and feedback. The bursary amount is calculated at £75 per day of training and £100 for a day of placement activity including planning and delivery of 1 x in-school workshop plus observation and feedback.

Bursaries are offered at the discretion of HMDT Music. Those who do not attend the full course or do not engage with the course at a level deemed appropriate by HMDT Music will not receive the full bursary. HMDT Music reserves the right to reduce the bursary amount proportionally.

Safeguarding

In order to deliver workshops as part of the placement day, trainees will be expected to have an Enhanced DBS Check, or be registered with the DBS Update Service. HMDT Music is able to process DBS Checks for applicants without one, but the cost of doing so will be passed on to the trainee (approximately £60). Trainees may then choose to register this with the DBS Update Service which is transferrable between organisations.

How to apply

There are up to 8 spaces available on this course. Participants will be selected at the discretion of HMDT Music and the course lead facilitators following application and 30 minute Zoom interview.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION FORM

Key dates

Friday 22 November 2024, 12 midday – application deadline

Wednesday 4/Thursday 5 December 2024 – 30 minute Zoom interviews for shortlisted applicants

Friday 13 December 2024 – Confirmation to applicants

Get In Touch

About HMDT Music

HMDT Music’s mission is to create inspiring arts projects to enrich learning and transform lives. By breaking down barriers to participation it aims to offer everyone, particularly those least engaged, arts programmes with life-changing opportunities to increase skills, raise aspirations and discover the joys of creativity. For over 20 years, HMDT Music has commissioned cross-curricular arts projects which amplify historical stories of marginalised groups including:

Jina and the STEM Sisters, celebrating the discoveries and stories of historical STEM women who fought against the odds to pursue their flair for scientific enquiry

Trench Brothers, focussing on personal stories of Indian Army, British West Indies Regiment and black British Soldiers in the First World War

Hear Our Voice, teaching the Holocaust through musical setting of diaries and letters written by children at the time

Shadowball, spotlighting the achievements of Black athletes and musicians in the face of adversity in the 1930s-1940s

The E Project is a new project which sets out to empower, enrich, equalise, expand, embed, engage and evaluate. Working with four primary schools, HMDT Music is creating an arts-embedded curriculum focussing on inclusion, and an associated training programme for school teachers.