Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion (PDF) - Cork City Council

The Use of Music as a Tool for Social Inclusion
Section 1: Policy Context
Forum Plenary Meetings and Working Groups
In general the Forum meets in plenary session twice each year. Plenary meetings
provide an opportunity for all Forum members, who are nominated by representative
bodies and networks, and from relevant service providers, to meet. Each meeting
includes a report on activities from the Forum Working Groups, updating members
on plans, a number of keynote presentations, discussions, and invitations to other
interested parties to join the groups. A number of Forum working groups have been
established to progress particular items of work for the Forum and report back regularly
to plenary meetings.
1.11. Summary
The central issue for the community and voluntary music groups is mainstreaming
policy mechanisms that will ensure their music education programmes can continue
in the future. The intentions of the policies in the NAPinclusion and the National
Employment Action Plan to promote social inclusion, support measures to increase
access to employment and lifelong learning opportunities for those who are
disadvantaged, and to ensure children and young people reach their true potential, are
obvious. As will become clear in the following sections, the work of the local music
groups meets those intentions, yet their sustainability is tenuous.
The promotion of social inclusion through employment and education is supported by
a range of programmes, including the FÁS Community Employment Scheme, which, as
will be explored further in this report, is used by two of the music groups included in this
research. However, the interface at which the groups operate, linking music, lifelong
learning, employment and community education, does not sit easily with the central
values of many of these programmes. As highlighted by the NESF, the music activity is
a by­product for the funding organisations, so its real importance is not recognised.
The real answer for the community music groups appears to lie in the emergence of
a clear national policy that will need to provide within a national framework practical
supports and resources necessary for arts and education.
The ingredients to pave the way for such a policy exist. There are three key strong
considerations that will inform this report’s recommendations:
1­ The framework proposed by Music Network Ireland for local music education
partnerships, seen as likely to ensure access and social inclusion is supported
by the Arts Council and the Department of Education and Science. The latter
have funded two partnership pilots in Dublin and County Donegal. These
pilots have been mainstreamed. An advisory Arts and Education Committee
was established jointly by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and the
Minister for Education and Science in 2006 to advise the Arts Council on how
best to promote and encourage the arts within the formal education system.
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