Disquiet
"Could young leaders run their own music clubs?" - Disquiet (2017). Credit: Rikard Österlund
A consultation with young people in North Kent found many were worried about music provision coming “under threat in the cuts.” What would the longer-term impact be on the local music scene? And, where resources were becoming scarce, could young leaders be trained to run their own music clubs?
Disquiet was a pilot project that worked with six trainee music leaders aged 16-19 at both Strood Youth Centre and Ideas Test in Sittingbourne. It set out to test if accessible teaching methods, such as Musical Futures' Just Play and instructional YouTube videos, could be adapted to effectively support music sessions for 13-15 year olds.
As part of the project, trainees:
The project also produced:
SparkedEcho managed the project on behalf of Musical Futures. The Musical Futures teaching approach was developed from the non-formal and informal practices of popular and community musicians. Their work has developed inclusive practice in the classrooms for primary and secondary schools across the world.
Disquiet was supported by funding from Youth Music. Kent Music kindly continued to facilitate the project at Ideas Test, Sittingbourne, beyond the funding period.
Disquiet was a pilot project that worked with six trainee music leaders aged 16-19 at both Strood Youth Centre and Ideas Test in Sittingbourne. It set out to test if accessible teaching methods, such as Musical Futures' Just Play and instructional YouTube videos, could be adapted to effectively support music sessions for 13-15 year olds.
As part of the project, trainees:
- developed music skills on a variety of instruments including guitar, vocals, keys, bass and drums
- worked towards an Arts Award and gained leadership skills for their CV
- learned the Musical Futures accessible teaching method ‘Just Play’, used in schools across the UK
- received ongoing support and coaching while they ran and led music workshops
- received a training bursary of up to £300 on completion of the project.
The project also produced:
- a project blog, that tracked the music leaders’ progress
- the Disquiet Video Channel, a resource that was co-created with the trainee music leaders
- an article that reflected on how well Musical Futures worked in youth clubs
- an independent evaluation on perceptions of Musical Futures being youth-led, undertaken by always possible Ltd.
SparkedEcho managed the project on behalf of Musical Futures. The Musical Futures teaching approach was developed from the non-formal and informal practices of popular and community musicians. Their work has developed inclusive practice in the classrooms for primary and secondary schools across the world.
Disquiet was supported by funding from Youth Music. Kent Music kindly continued to facilitate the project at Ideas Test, Sittingbourne, beyond the funding period.
