Partnership Structure
Music Education Islington (MEI) has clearly defined partnerships at Strategic and Delivery levels. At the core of our partnership work is the notion that these organisations bring added value to, and complement, the MEI’s offer; and importantly that there is a reciprocal and collaborative relationship. MEI has a rigorous evaluation and quality-assurance process for all existing and potential partnerships which checks that all organisations:
- Offer clarity about how they meet MEI’s strategic priorities, MEI’s vision as well as mission and contribute to the holistic MEI offer;
- Are committed to Child Protection/Safeguarding best-practice, as well as equal opportunities for all children and young people with robust policies in place and regular training for all staff;
- Demonstrate how they positively contribute recourses (in-kind or cash) which could be used to provide opportunity for MEI pupils/schools;
- Adapt reflective practice procedures through engaging in evaluations of their own activity.
MEI’s annually reviews how organisations meet the criteria of partners or additional providers, and bring in additional expertise, impacting on the people that we work with.
Strategically MEI supports partners developing their programmes and highlighting funding opportunities on local and national levels. This then allows MEI to support partner organisations in applications to secure additional funding. MEI works with partners to secure funded activity for young people in our area.
The importance of partnership working cannot be underestimated, with significant investments of time and money made at senior levels of the organisations involved. MEI continues to work to identify new partners where there are gaps in provision or to respond to need. MEI is frequently approached by organisations wishing to become a partner and we have evolved a thorough process to establish the relevance, need and appropriateness of these potential relationships. The essential question asked whenever a proposed new partnership is suggested, is whether that new organisation can offer something unique to our existing partnerships and if it will positively benefit all MEI stakeholders in a meaningful way.
Islington Council & Guildhall school of Drama and Music
Strategic Partners provide strategic input and leadership and helps drive change, strategic partners are part of MEI’s strategic group.
Delivery Partners work with MEI to develop and deliver provision to address the gaps and needs identified in Islington. Delivery Partners may be asked to join MEI’s Operational group.
School Partners work with MEI in order to raise the quality of music provision and musical progression for pupils in their school. MEI aims to work with every school in Islington (state maintained, free, academy).
Partnership agreements with delivery partner will be reviewed annually.
The working relationship with schools are outlined in MEI’s Service Level Agreement.
External Partners are individuals or organisations delivering work locally but independently of MEI. MEI will list these organisations on their website and signpost activities where appropriate.
Our Partners
The Islington Fair Futures Commission (2018) called for more enrichment activity to support children and young people to develop ‘skills for life’.
Enrichment offers; like music, the arts, and careers activities; help children to develop social and emotional skills, such as communication, self-reliance and team working. These life skills support the wellbeing of children and young people and help them to become more resilient, think creatively and relate more positively to each other.
Music Education Islington, 100 Hours World of Work and a 11 by 11 were developed to meet this new council policy commitment.
ICoS - Enrichment | IslingtonCS
Donna Powell, aka Bad Lay-Dee, leads poetry and music workshops for KS3. The workshops use music and performance to help build confidence and self-esteem in children and young people. Her work can be seen as an early intervention to use 'words, not weapons'. Donna has worked in a wide range of settings, including PRUs & SEND.
Breakin’ Convention has been key in developing hip hop theatre genre, celebrated through vestivals, international touring, professional developments, youth projects and educational programmes.
Breakin’ Convention runs programmes for all school types and settings, including SEND schools and PRUs.
Our Work — Breakin' Convention (breakinconvention.com)
A Hip Hop inspired arts organisation passionate about encouraging positive attitudes towards learning. Working in Primary and Secondary schools.
Student of Life
CDR create high quality, impactful music technology-led experiences that help support and inform young people's choices as they progress.
CDR's principle offer is Music Producer Club (MPC), a space for young people to respond to and where they can nurture their digital music-making ambitions, skills and identity across composition, production and performance. Music Producer Club allows young people to engage with digital music-making opportunities that reflect their everyday lives and experiences.
CDR offer one-off sessions as well as short-term workshops.
CDR also deliver CPD in order to train teachers which will lead to remove barrier to high quality relevant digital music making.
CDR's Music Producer Club includes working with a wide range of students, including PRU pupils and those with physical disabilities. CDR are particularly interested in combining GnT / BAME / NEET groups.
CYP music programme gives musically talented and keen young people in the local estates an opportunity to nurture their musical talent.
Music – Copenhagen Youth Project (cyproject.org)
Gain Ctrl is a weekly programme based at Platform Hub. Our facilities include a recording studio facilitated by industry established producers/engineers and a media room for support on everything outside of recording. Drop-in and bookable sessions include music production, singing, and spoken word.
Gain Ctrl also runs term based workshops that help young people learn how to share, monetise and own their work. Gain Ctrl welcomes young people from all school settings, including PRUs, looked after children, with mental health problems, not in education, SEND and young offenders.
Gain Ctrl have created bespoke projects for targeted groups such as LGBTQ+ Community, workshops for young women and early intervention projects with 8 - 12yr olds.
Home - Gain Ctrl
Key Changes Studio Discovery offer a free 5-week programme (5 hours per week) of music industry mentoring for musicians 16 yrs and up experiencing issues with mental health. All activities take place at St Luke's Community Centre.
Activities are run as drop-in sessions and bookable workshops. In 1-to-1 sessions young people engage in music to improve mental health, receive mentoring as well as career advice.
services | Key Changes
London Sinfonietta's core work with schools, teachers & young people is composition and creative music making. In their projects they are supporting young people to create music, explore contemporary repertoire and provide high-profile performance platforms for participants within the London Sinfonietta concert season.
London Sinfonietta are focussing their creative composition work on offering opportunities to those who would not normally be part of something like this (schools with high PP, SEN, EAL etc). Their work with young musicians aims to increase the diversity of the musicians engaged in classical music, specifically targeting those who are currently under represented in the industry.
https://londonsinfonietta.org.uk/for-schools
Education and outreach is now an inextricable part of the LSO’s DNA. LSO Discovery exists to offer inspiring musical experiences to people of all ages and backgrounds who have not necessarily had much contact with classical music and musicians.
London Symphony Orchestra - About LSO Discovery
Music therapy is a psychological intervention using interactive music making as a form of communication and self-expression to bring about positive change in peoples’ lives.
Music therapists can engage and support children and adults of all ages to help with a range of psychological, emotional, social, physiological or behavioural needs. Therapists have specialist training and experience in mental health and learning difficulties, and knowledge and expertise to make recommendations to further support where needed. Children and young people participating in music therapy do not require any prior musical knowledge or skills.
Offers and costs are tailored to individual setting and needs.
Please contact MusicEducation.Islington@gsmd.ac.uk
SoapBox Youth Centre works with a wide range of young people from various settings, indlucing PRUs, SEND, Physical Disabilities, looked after children & young offenders. Drop-ins and bookable workshops also take place on site of the Youth Centre.
Home - SoapBox Islington
Union Chapel runs a personalised learning programme which aims to help children & young people to reach their full potential by creating the best opportunities to compose, play & engage with the chapel's magnificent organ. Union Chapel works with students from all school settings.
Mixture (unionchapel.org.uk)
