Music for All
Improving access to music education for people with special needs
May 2009 - April 2011. Project funded by the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013
Development idea
All people, including people with special needs, have the right to education and to be respected as individual learners and not only as “patients”. The right to education means not only to become taught but the right to receive appropriate, customised and effective education.
Aim of the project
The project worked on providing access of people with special needs to high-quality customized music education. The project educated and encouraged teachers by introducing new learning methods. The project also focused on improving the attitudes of politicians, teachers, fellow musicians, and society in general.
Main project activities
The project organised experience exchange workshops as well as a joint teachers’ seminar to develop a methodological handbook for special music education. An art camp, “Meeting in Music”, was arranged to test the methodological handbook. Music teachers and the general public learned about the project and special music education through a TV documentary “Music for All”, a blog and several dissemination events. The project received a lot of inquiries from teachers and parents of people with special needs wanting to be involved in the project activities.
PARTNERS
- Latvia: Riga City Council Education, Culture and Sports Department
- Estonia: Tolaram Foundation
- Finland: HelsinkiMissio ry / Special Music Centre Resonaari
RESULTS
Manual for teaching music to people with special needs
A manual was produced on how to improve the availability of high-quality music education for people with special needs, and to improve attitudes towards music students with special needs.