Members of the Southern Music Hub Alliance had been working together for several years before coming together to work the OFM programme. OFM brought together both strategic and operational workstreams, engaging senior leaders, managers and teachers/practitioners to work collaboratively to develop musical inclusion. Through the programme we developed new music activities in each Hub area, finding local responses that met our shared aims and helped us progress towards achieving the goals of the programme.
Supported by the Southern Music Hub Alliance Board, local managers and programme leads established a new network for Inclusion Leads, meeting at least monthly to share progress, effective practice and to support each other to trouble-shoot and resolve challenges.
We worked with a researcher who was able to support evaluation and help us draw together learning from across the region and created a shared programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to support music leaders engaged in the delivery of programme activities and to generate and share approaches, musical activities, resources and tool kits.
Throughout the programme, each Music Hub contributed to and was supported by the network, multiplying the impact of our work, sharing learning with Music Hub staff and partners and significantly growing the number of children and young people who were able to access music-making than if any one Hub had been working in isolation.
