Community and Participation

This CPD Diploma course is an opportunity for professional portfolio career musicians to gain valuable skills, knowledge and practical experience in the field of community and participation.

On this course you will take part in lectures and seminars at the Academy, covering topics including:

• Designing, leading and evaluating projects for schools
• Improvisation and collaborative composition
• Work with older people, including those living with dementia
• Hospitals and health care settings
• Working with people with special educational needs
• Early Years settings
• Cross-arts work

You will benefit from 20 hours of one-to-one tutorials throughout the year, which may be used flexibly. You may wish to group your hours of tutorials into blocks of several hours at key points in the year — for example to explore a specific topic in more depth, or in preparation for a practical project which you would define and lead in the summer term.

You will be required to keep a learning journal over the course of the year. You will be encouraged to draw on this when submitting a reflective portfolio which examines the skills and abilities required for creative leadership, the extent to which you feel that you have progressed, your strengths, and the areas that require further attention.

As well as being offered opportunities to be part of Open Academy projects, you may also be offered placements on projects with some of our partners, including Wigmore Hall, English National Opera, The City Lit, Camden Music Education Hub and Spitalfields Music.

In the final term of the course, you will be supported to design, lead and evaluate your own project.

Please note that as part of the audition process, you will be required to perform on your principal study and take part in an improvisation activity. Composers will be asked to submit a portfolio of compositions.

Audition Requirements

The deadline to apply for this course is Friday 12 January 2024. You should also send a CV and Personal Statement by email to openacademy@ram.ac.uk no later than 12:00 (BST) on Friday 19 January 2024.

In your personal statement (c.500 words) please summarise your career to date, and explain your interest in taking this course and how it will support you in your future career.