Inwards, Upwards, and Forwards: Sector Support and Consultancy
In a new, exciting phase of Sound Connections’ development, our ‘Inwards, Upwards, and Forwards’ series aims shine light on the three main areas of our work, providing insights into the upcoming year for Sound Connections, our ambitions, and where we are heading next on our mission to support the music education sector. This feature reflects on our sector support work and consultancy services, providing insights into our future plans and considering how they contribute to the organisation’s wider mission and values.
An introduction to our Sector Support and Consultancy work
Our sector support work, including our consultancy service, brings together our organisational skills and knowledge as leaders in inclusive and reflective practice and youth voice and participation, and our role as a connector and convener in the sector to offer developmental support to organisations and practitioners.
Through our sector support work we develop and deliver:
- Activate – our funding programme for Music Hubs wanting to develop their inclusion work through a youth participation lens
- Resources & tools such as the Youth Voice & Participation Handbook and The Youth Voice Equaliser
- Youth Voice & Participation training and network meetings ranging from a beginners session to including young people in governance and decision making and more.
Our consultancy work draws on the above and offers bespoke, needs-based support for all sorts of organisations from Music Hubs across the country, to Arts Council England, Bristol Beacon, BBC Children in Need, British Council, English Heritage, Girls Rock London, Live Music Now, Music Generation Ireland, National Youth Arts Wales and many more. Our specialisms include:
- Youth Voice and Participation
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Research, Evaluation and Impact
- Strategy and Organisational Change
Who is involved and who does the programme impact?
Liz manages our sector support and consultancy work, working closely with Philip and Helen, and a team of amazing Associates, each with their own specialisms, meaning that we are agile and responsive to different needs. Our work directly influences organisations and practitioners, and in turn, the communities that they work with.
“Sound Connections are excellent at strategy in music education and evaluation… Strategic consultation too. I value them as an organisation who support organisations to better understand themselves.” Phil Castang, Chief Executive, Music for Youth.
This series is all about looking inwards, upwards, and forwards…
How are you looking inward right now?
We’re currently taking some time to reflect, consolidate, and plan the next phase of our sector support and consultancy offer.
What are you looking upwards at?
A challenge and change that we’re looking at on the horizon is the next phase of Music Hubs and what that will look like as the current hubs transition into combined geographic areas. We are considering how this might work in reality, and asking ourselves, how can we provide support in a meaningful way?
What are you looking forward to in the upcoming academic year?
We’re really looking forward to launching ‘Wired Associates’ – a new 6-month training programme for two Wired4Music members or alumni, to work closely with us on sector support and consultancy, learning the ropes, delivering the work, and becoming fully-fledged members of our Associate pool.
Wired4Music members and alumni, at Sound Connections 20th anniversary event featuring a Wired4Music live Jam, September 2022
What are you doing this year that is new / different?
The Wired Associates training programme is new in the sense that we are formalising this pathway so that it is clearly defined and structured, with the aim of creating opportunities for Wired4Music members to contribute and gain experience elsewhere in the organisation, and also diversifying the backgrounds and experience of our team in the process.
How is Sound Connections’ recent NPO status impacting your work?
We’re thinking nationally now in relation to our support with Music Hubs, as previously we’d only been funded to work with Hubs in London. Whilst the pandemic and online working opened up work for us nationally to begin with, our NPO status is a strategic driver to help us really consolidate ourselves as a national organisation.
How are Sound Connections’ Sector Support work and Consultancy service working towards the organisation’s wider mission and values?
Our sector support work and consultancy service is all about supporting organisations and practitioners to work better with their communities – we challenge, support and nurture them to be more inclusive, reflective and collaborative. 10 years ago, youth voice and participation in the music education sector was largely met with ‘Huh?’ – now it’s commonplace. There’s still loads to be done, but we’re getting there!
Where should people go to find out more?
Get in touch with Liz if you’d like to have an informal chat about how we can support your organisation’s ambitions and development.
Want to develop your youth voice work? Check out the following resources:
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