Music as Therapy International

11/6/2018

Music charity announces free training for Early Years staf

AN AWARD-WINNING charity with twenty years’ delivering staff training in the UK and around the world has announced they are repeating their awards scheme for their highly acclaimed training course for Early Years practitioners.

Music as Therapy Internationalis a South London-based registered charity who believe passionately in the power of music to make the most of people’s potential, overcoming obstacles such as disability, trauma and mental illness. Their unique approach sees them train care staff to use simple music therapy techniques and musical activities, providing them with resources and professional support to make sustainable change.

The charity has been running their Interactive Music-Making(IMM) course since 2010. The six month course provides staff working in Early Years (with children under 5 years of age) with the skills and confidence to use music in a therapeutic way with the children in their care.

The IMM Awards was launched in 2017 to combat challenges faced by nurseries and children’s centres, such as budget cuts which can prevent investment in staff training. Their creation means Early Years settings can now access the structured training course without the worry of budgets or staff cover, meaning more children can be supported in their development through the therapeutic and life-enhancing use of music, with over 6,000 children standing to benefit thanks to last year’s programme.

Alexia Quin, director of Music as Therapy International, and co-founder of IMM, said: “The IMM Awards have proven to be a huge success, so we are extremely pleased to be offering another seven Awards places on our IMM course this year.”

Applications for a place on the course through an IMM Award can only come from care settings, not individuals. An Award will see all staff training costs met by the charity, the care setting provided with a set of musical instruments to sustain IMM practice long term, and a contribution made towards the cover needed to release staff to be able to attend the course. There are 7 Awards places available this year. Applications are open now.

The IMM course will run from September 2018 until June 2019. The course will be held at the Clyde Early Childhood Centre, in Deptford, Lewisham. The deadline for Awards applications is 15 June 2018. To apply please visit: www.interactivemusicmaking.org.

For more information about Music as Therapy International, please visit www.musicastherapy.org. For more information about Interactive Music Making please visit www.interactivemusicmaking.org.