UK Network for Supporting Young People's Composing

1. Raise the profile of, have influence on and advocate for composing as part of national music education conversations, programmes/ initiatives, curricula and policy
2. Ensure there are opportunities and pathways for young people to compose and make progress in their composing across the UK, and clear signposting to and between them.
3. Ensure there is a sustainable skilled and experienced workforce (composer-educators, workshop leaders and teachers) able to teach/lead/deliver high quality composing activity with young people, and routes into that workforce.
4. Improve the quality of composing teaching and learning through sharing pedagogies, best practice, learning resources, commissioning research, networking, engaging with online providers/schemes/programmes.
5. Raise the profile of and celebrate music composed by young people through platforming it at live events and online.

The network takes a broad definition of composing. This definition from The Routledge Companion to Teaching Music Composition in Schools is helpful:

When we say the word ‘composing’, we mean the activity in its broadest sense: any processes, individual or collaborative, which bring into fruition any kind of music, whether this be realized directly into sound, whether or not it has been notated, and whether or not it has an audience. When talking about composing in this way, it is treated as a normal part of educational life that anyone has the potential to do.

Currently, the group is made up of representatives from new music ensembles, music education hubs, higher education institutions,  music organsations and creative practitioners (workshop leaders, composer-educators). Further details about individual members of the group and how they support young composers will be posted in the coming months. 

The group meets termly and has a smaller steering group consisting of:

• Nancy Evans (Director of Learning & Participation, BCMG)
• Judith Robinson (freelance evaluator and arts education consultant)
• Holly Isherwood (Education Manager, London Sinfonietta)
• Ellen Thomson (Head of Outreach, StAMP (St Andrews Music Participation))
• Elfyn Jones (composer and music-educator, Sonopera)
• Emma Coulthard (Head of Music Service at Oxfordshire County Council and composer)
• Dr Kirsty Devaney (music education lecturer, composer and workshop leader, Royal College of Music). 

If you are interested in knowing more about the network, please contact [email protected]