Musical Connections: Nurturing Musical Cultures in Autism Resource Bases Across the UK through Participatory Action Research
We are delighted to have been selected as one of four projects to receive funding from the AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research, through the University of Southampton’s Centre for Music Education and Social Justice. This grant will support our work to expand access to inclusive, creative and child-centred music education for autistic children and young people across the UK.
Over the past three years, funding from Youth Music enabled us to explore how to increase musical opportunities for autistic pupils attending Autism Resource Bases (ARB) within mainstream schools. Our research has shown that many learners in ARBs face barriers to accessing music education. With leadership from Alex Lupo, an autistic professional musician and Live Music Now trainer, we partnered with Resonate Music (Liverpool), Harrow Music Service and Sound Foundation Somerset, to deliver 24 projects reaching 340 pupils in ARB across England. Evaluation of these projects showed positive impact on pupil’s social, emotional and academic outcomes, and highlighted a need for further research.
This one-year AHRC grant will allow us to build on that work by drawing on the expertise of Dr Beth Pickard (University of South Wales) to deepen our understanding of the barriers to music provision within ARBs. We will examine whether these barriers stem from systemic issues, attitudes, or a lack of resources and training. The project will be guided by a steering group of autistic musicians and shaped through consultation sessions with stakeholders in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. By centering autistic voices, we aim to co-develop music provision that directly responds to the needs and challenges identified.
The project will be delivered in four interconnected phases:
Phase 1: Map current music education practices and review existing research related to music provision in ARBs across the UK.
Phase 2: Consult with a diverse range of stakeholders—including autistic people—to understand their experiences, priorities, and aspirations.
Phase 3: Design and deliver two Musician-in-Residence projects in ARBs in South Wales and Northern Ireland, trialling practical, inclusive strategies for embedding music in pupils’ daily experiences and researching the impact of this approach.
Phase 4: Launch a suite of accessible resources and produce policy briefings informed by our findings, supporting future music provision within this expanding area of specialist education.
Karen Irwin, Live Music Now’s Strategic Director for Music in Education said:
“We’re passionate about making sure every child and young person has access to high-quality music education, so we’re absolutely delighted to receive this grant from the AHRC’s Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research.
This funding will help us build on our work supporting autistic children and young people in Autism Resource Bases (ARBs), a type of education provision which is increasing across the UK. We know that many autistic children may have unique musical strengths, and regular access to music can make a real difference to their learning and wellbeing.
Over the next year, we’re excited to work closely with Dr Beth Pickard from the University of South Wales and our lead ARB trainer, Alex Lupo, to take this work to the next level. Starting in September, we’ll be launching a nationwide survey for schools and holding consultation events online and in-person across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We’re keen to hear from anyone working in this space as we shape this vital research and help create better musical opportunities for autistic children and young people.”
Further information about the AHRC Hub for Public Engagement in Music Education see here.
For further information about the Live Music Now and University of South Wales project, please contact, Karen Irwin [email protected] or Beth Pickard [email protected]
