access and inclusion

The INCLUDE groups made changes to the way they operate their regular activity to make their groups more inclusive, involving their members to ensure that they felt included and changes were well-suited. 

Gathering ideas and opinions

Short-term

The groups involved their members in change, asking people about their experiences and inviting them to be part of decision making. 

The INCLUDE groups made small changes to the way they welcome and initially interact with new people to improve the accessibility and inclusive feel of their groups. 

Enabling access through information  

Short-term

The groups made changes to the information they provide about coming to their rehearsals and concerts, so it is easier find and helps people understand how to access their activity. They particularly focused on access information for disabled people.

The INCLUDE groups used activity that was designed to reach new people and organisations as part of a strategy to widen the diversity of their groups.

Creating musical activities that connect 

Short-term

All four groups planned musical activities with the aim of reaching new people and raising awareness across their whole communities. Large-scale events required money and effort to organise but had the potential to make an impact if the follow-up was right.

Approaching access and inclusion work strategically helped the INCLUDE groups set realistic goals and embed access and inclusion as key to their whole group’s development.  

Getting people involved

Short-term

The committees of the INCLUDE groups engaged with all their members and got extra people involved with building and delivering their strategy.

Across the country, there are thousands of leisure-time music groups that exist for distinct reasons and appeal to different people. This is a great thing, but it means that you need to able to clearly describe who your group is and what it does so that people know what to expect when they interact with you. This resource will cover how and why to produce a ‘definition statement’ for your music group. 

In this webinar recording, Making Music explores the steps music groups need to take to welcome and include new people in their bands, and the benefits of fostering a more inclusive environment.

CEO Barbara Eifler discusses the principles of access and inclusion, identifying barriers to people participating in your band and how you can take steps to removing those barriers. Our Inclusion Focus Programme Manager Elizabeth Palmer then talks about the insights and lessons learned from the INCLUDE programme, now one year into the project.

What your music group chooses to wear on stage is part of how you present yourself to the world - but care must be taken not to have it become a barrier that might lead to exclusion.

A group's performance wear - their 'uniform' - is the first thing an audience will see, which is why many groups choose to specify what their members wear while performing. This can be a good thing; uniform can bring a sense of belonging to people and help them feel part of a team. If you’re trying to present a unified sound, it can also be effective if you look uniform too.