An increasing number of children and young people with SEND are doing Arts Award (www.artsaward.org.uk) across the UK. Arts Award is a flexible, personalized learning framework accessible to children and young people with a range of needs and abilities. It supports them to develop as artists and arts leaders and gain a qualification in something they enjoy doing.
LMN concerts and projects can provide a focus for Arts Award activity. For example, children and young people working on their Bronze award can “Attend and review an arts event” at an LMN concert, or “Take part in the arts” and “Share arts skills” through an LMN project.
In 2013 Live Music Now piloted a new project in three London schools with the following aims:
• to support young people with SEND to develop their musical skills and experiences, contributing to the achievement of an Arts Award (Bronze level)
• to identify best practice for LMN musicians planning and delivering future LMN projects which encompass Arts Award
In 2014 the programme expanded to schools in the North West.
The LMN Arts Award/Musicians in Residence programme is made possible with support from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.