by Author cathy.grant@aam...

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An introduction to York's IMPs and its Apprentice Programme

All about Accessible Arts & Media's Inclusive Music Project in York.

IMPs is an inclusive music programme where disabled and non-disabled children and young people make music together as equals.

IMPs members get together every week and learn to sing and sign, write their own songs, compositions and soundscapes, take part in public performances and, most importantly, have a lot of fun and make new friends. IMPs members include young people with learning difficulties, physical impairments, sensory impairments, communication or development disorders, including Autism, and combinations of these. Non-disabled members include young carers, siblings of disabled members and children who just love making music.

IMPs started life in 2012 and has grown from one weekly, term-time group for young people aged 11+ to a year-round programme for 5 – 25 year olds from York and the surrounding area. Thanks to funding from Youth Music and the Ed De Nunzio Charitable Trust, we're now able to deliver the following IMPs activities:

· a weekly Junior IMPs singing and signing group for 5-10 year olds;

· Senior IMPs weekly music group for young people aged 11+;

· holiday activities in the half term, Easter and Summer holidays;

· the IMPs apprentice programme, where members of Senior IMPs get the chance to train to become workshop leaders.

The apprentice programme was developed following the success of a similar model that we launched with our adult group, Hands & Voices, in 2007, after members of the choir told us they’d like to be able to share their singing and signing skills with other people.

Our IMPs apprentices attend a training session every term, led by our music leaders and accessible communication specialists. The training focuses on gaining confidence and leadership skills and allows the apprentices to practice leading warm-up exercises, songs and music activities before they try them out in front of the full IMPs group. They discuss workshop structure, what makes a good workshop (and a bad one!) and how to adapt activities for different groups. They then take what they've learnt back to our weekly IMPs sessions and take it in turns to co-lead songs and warm-ups alongside our music leaders.

 

Once apprentices are ready, they're supported to help plan and co-deliver workshops at schools, community groups and local events. They also take it in turns to co-lead the Junior IMPs sessions, supporting younger children in their learning.

We work with the apprentices to help them set their own learning goals, which they reflect on at training sessions and in evaluation sessions after workshops. This helps them to develop critical thinking (something that doesn’t come naturally to learning-disabled young people) and to learn to reflect about themselves.

For our apprentices, planning and delivering workshops gives them the chance to:

  • develop their communication, leadership, team working and critical thinking skills;
  • gain understanding and experience of what it means to be professional;
  • grow in confidence, which leads to increased motivation to engage in learning, work, volunteering and other social activities;
  • learn that training can be fun;
  • make a valued contribution to their local community, something they feel very proud of;
  • become a role model for other young people; and
  • most importantly, they realise that they have a voice and that people are prepared to listen to them.

All of this has a hugely positive impact on their wellbeing. They’re all really proud to be apprentices, to share their skills and their love of music with other young people and to act as ambassadors for a project they all love being part of.

For workshop participants, an apprentice-led workshop offers the chance to learn new skills whilst seeing positive disabled role models in action. They’re a great way to promote inclusion – our apprentices are very skilled at making everyone feel comfortable and confident. And everyone has great fun too!

If you'd like to find out more about the IMPs or Accessible Arts & Media, please visit http://aamedia.org.uk or call us on 01904 626965.