Introducing Skills Lab: Creative Communities

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We’re delighted to launch Skills Lab: Creative Communities, a practical training academy for musicians of all genres who want to develop skills in creative music-making and leadership with a wide range of communities. 

What do music leaders do?

Music leaders work with people of all ages and all walks of life. They use music-making to encourage and support creative expression, well-being and confidence.

The world of music leadership is diverse and each music leader is unique with their own musical journey, background, interests and passions, leading them to the communities they want to work with.

Who is Skills Lab for?

Would you like to develop your skills in leading creative music projects in a range of community settings and inspire people to explore their creative potential?  Then this could be your opportunity!  We’re looking for a diverse group of musicians and emerging music leaders from all music genres who are passionate about creating music with communities around them.

We particularly welcome under-represented talent. We particularly encourage musicians who are Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic and/ or D/deaf, disabled and neuro-divergent, and musicians from lower-income backgrounds.

 “I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m buzzing with ideas! I was surprised how approachable things felt when broken down. I thought Music Leadership was something that was not possible for me …but this was really exciting and has encouraged me” (2019 Skills Lab participant)

How does Skills Lab work?

Skills Lab: Creative Communities is an online training academy series. Each training day will focus on different community and educational settings and skillsets, and will be led by our creative leadership team – Abimaro Gunnell, Sam Glazer and James Redwood. To learn more about our creative leadership team, click here.

Each day features special guest leaders including Aga Serugo-Lugo, Gawain Hewitt, Paul Cree, Sarah Freestone, Zoe Palmer, Amina Hussain, and Freya Wynn-Jones. To learn more about our guest leaders, click here.

Skills Lab will give you an opportunity to: 

  • develop skills and confidence to facilitate inclusive music workshops and lead creative music-making activities which work in person and online
  • learn new ideas and activities for sessions, including warm-up games, song materials, approaches and techniques
  • reflect, deepen and build on your practice
  • observe and explore different approaches to music leading
  • increase skills and knowledge to pursue a career as a creative music leader
  • connect and collaborate creatively with a network of musicians
  • ask questions and share your experience with some of the UK’s best creative music leaders

How to book?

Please see the individual events at the bottom of this page to book your place. Each training day costs £40.

Accessibility

If you have any access requirements, and/or need financial assistance to cover the cost of access requirements, please email Gail.

Support for care commitments

We can offer some assistance for care commitments such as childcare, which might otherwise affect your ability to take part. To enquire please email Gail.

Bursaries

Bursary applications have now closed.

Any other questions?

If you have any further questions, please get in touch with Gail, who would be happy to help.

We are hugely grateful for the support of Help Musicians UK, the Scops Arts Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and The Cultural Recovery Fund to help cover the costs of these courses, thereby ensuring accessible pricing for musicians in these challenging times.

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