Workshop in Leuven. Shaping the role of the Academic Tutor for inclusive music teaching: highlights from the IncluMusic workshop in Leuven

IncluMusic partners delivered a workshop titled ‘IncluMusic: a roadmap towards a more inclusive Higher Music Education’, aimed at sharing different methods through which students with Special Education Needs (SEN) in Higher Music Education (HME) can be integrated, and how teaching in this area is delivered at the national and European levels. Moreover, the workshop aimed at identifying good practices for the design of new relevant tools for SEN students.

The workshop took place on Thursday, 21st September in the frame of the AEC Annual Meeting for International Relations Coordinators 2023 in Leuven, and gathered 30 participants including teachers, researchers, students and, mostly, administrative staff. The workshop activities centred on:

  • reinforcing the level of competence of HME teachers and HME administrative staff in the field of Special Education;
  • discussing a new professional role (Academic Tutor), aimed at monitoring social inclusion practices within HME institutions and the training process of HME teachers;
  • establishing a network of HME institutions focused on adopting social inclusion practices and raising awareness about the lack of access to HME for students with SEN.
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During the workshop, project partners shared the results of their research in the frame of the project, starting with the state-of-the-art study that identified the different forms of SEN student inclusion in HME in Europe and the training practices that have already been adopted. This helped participants understand what competencies are necessary to build inclusive Higher Education systems. 

Furthermore, a video was shared and a role play activity was conducted in order to challenge participants to try looking through the eyes of a SEN student and understanding what they require in order to develop their skills in the field of music. The video can’t be circulated online for copyright purposes but can be consulted privately upon request.

Lastly, the workshop facilitated by the project team served to validate the content of the design principles through a focus group organised with the participants. IncluMusic intends to train teachers and administrative staff within HME institutions in the field of inclusion, through dedicated training courses and specific programmes, in order to create a flexible and inclusive environment. The Academic Tutor will be able to work fully together with the internal team of the institution for all disciplinary areas.

IncluMusic is a strategic partnership project co-funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by the Academia Națională de Muzică „Gheorghe Dima” in Cluj Napoca, Romania. 

To find out more about the project’s latest news, please do not hesitate to visit the official IncluMusic project website: https://www.inclumusic.eu/ and stay tuned to AEC’s social media channels.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the National Agency for Community Programs in the Field of Education and Professional Development. Neither the European Union nor ANPCDEFP can be held responsible for them.