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Disability and Access in Conservatoire Education: Barriers, Pathways and Potential for Innovation

Project Code:DACE - 40044297

Project Description:

Developments in adapted instruments and new interfaces for music making are progressing at pace, creating new possibilities for disabled young musicians to continue their musical development with tools that support and facilitate ever-higher levels of virtuosity. New adaptations, 3-D printing, and highly customisable interfaces mean that increasingly bespoke tools to support highly specialised needs are available at much reduced costs and timescale. However, these developments in tools and equipment have not been matched with developments in the higher music education sector. Conservatoires, music colleges, and universities have yet to develop pathways which enable a disabled musician to train on an adapted instrument, or with instruments that can be changed to mitigate the challenges of health conditions that worsen over time. Where disabled musicians have been able to participate, they frequently encounter attitudinal challenges which make progression more difficult, pointing to shortcomings in the approaches of some teachers. Taken together, this means that many musicians are simply excluded from receiving higher level music training.

With more disabled young musicians being able to participate in developing high levels of musical artistry, new programmes of study need to be developed. This BCU Vice Chancellor’s Doctoral Award would investigate the challenges that disabled musicians face in terms of accessing and progressing through higher music education. It will significantly enhance current practice and move towards a system-wide understanding of how higher musical education can be reimagined to provide more equitable offers for all.

Anticipated Findings:

Our current understanding of the experiences of disabled musicians in higher musical study is limited due to relatively low levels of participation and a paucity of research in the area. This project will therefore constitute a significant original contribution to knowledge by providing the first in-depth national study exploring the barriers to access, and participation in, higher musical study for disabled musicians, drawing on data gathered from key stakeholders. We anticipate findings including: It will likely present findings on:

  • Understanding the musical profiles of disabled musicians in higher education, specifically conservatoires across the UK
  • The extent to which institutional values, rigid frameworks and pathways impact on student experiences
  • Exploring the provision offered and the ways in which higher musical education is/is not serving the needs of disabled musicians
  • Developing new theoretical insights into inclusive pedagogies at conservatoires
  • Identifying areas of need that can better support potential students with a range of needs
  • Improve student experience and retention rates in higher education
  • Inform inclusive pedagogical approaches in higher music education institutions (conservatoires, music colleges and university music departments), with international applicability

Contact (and Director of Studies for this project): Dr Adam Whittaker, adam.whittaker@bcu.ac.uk

How to apply

To apply for this project, visit the 'How to Apply' section on the Conservatoire PhD course page.