Teachers, parents, governors, music organisations, funders and policymakers in Wales are invited to a free, three-day, online conference from 22 November.
The We Are All Musical conference is organised by Live Music Now, Anthem Music Fund Wales and Disability Arts Cymru. Wales has over 92,500 children with additional learning needs, supported by 40 maintained special schools and Additional Learning Needs Units attached to mainstream schools. So, the conference sets out to put music at the forefront of helping these young people.
The three-day programme will review the findings from new research into music provision in Welsh special needs schools, discuss the importance of regular music education for children and young disabled people, share strategies to support musical inclusion at school and seek ways to improve that provision.
It also includes an impressive line-up of speakers, including Carrie Grant MBE, Professor Adam Ockelfield, Jayne Bryant MS and the founder of the UK Disability Arts Alliance, Andrew Miller MBE.
Grant, a renowned musician, broadcaster and campaigner, has four children with special needs and is ambassador for the National Autistic Society. As she said, ‘Music is for everyone, it sits within us all. It is one of the greatest gifts we can pass onto our young and for those who find words difficult (or unnecessary) music can be even more profound.’
The event runs between 3pm and 5pm from today, 22 November to Wednesday 24 November and is available on Zoom to all for free.
The full programme, information on the speakers and panellists and booking access is available here.
