{"id":1006,"date":"2019-06-13T11:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T09:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dothegap.com\/blog\/?p=1006"},"modified":"2019-06-19T10:35:50","modified_gmt":"2019-06-19T08:35:50","slug":"music-and-education-the-perfect-excuse-for-a-cultural-exchange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dothegap.com\/blog\/en\/music-and-education-the-perfect-excuse-for-a-cultural-exchange\/","title":{"rendered":"Music and education: the perfect excuse for a cultural exchange!"},"content":{"rendered":"

At dothegap<\/strong>, we promote non-formal education, the power of cultural learning and experiences such as the exchange that can change the world around us<\/strong>. This time, we\u2019re focusing on a real case that shows us how music can also be fit into this category of learning tools.<\/p>\n

Want to know more and have another reason to get involved in organising a cultural exchange<\/strong>? Keep reading and find out how!<\/p>\n

Music\u2019s role in education: the story of Feversham Primary Academy<\/h2>\n

Feversham Primary Academy<\/strong> is a school in Bradford, a city located in the north of England. The local town is modest with a population of diverse origins at its centre that speaks over 30 different languages, and where 98% of the student population have English as their second language.<\/p>\n

Until 2013, the education at Feversham Primary<\/strong> followed the long-standing educational model, which was evidently not working: there was a great amount of disillusion from both teachers and students, as well as behavioural issues. The situation was so worrying that the government classified it as a failed school that needed to take extreme measures to rectify its problems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Change came when they named Naveed Idrees<\/strong>\u00a0director of the school in 2013. One of the first steps he took was to hire Jimmy Rotheram <\/strong>as\u00a0musical coordinator and redesign the curriculum with a focus on music, a move that openly went against the government\u2019s demands to offer more hours of Maths and English.<\/p>\n

The aim was to involve the students more and steer their learning in a more experiential way that could break down the cultural and language barriers faced by students<\/strong>. They had between 3 and 8 hours of music classes a week, depending on whether they opted to take the extra optional activities.<\/p>\n

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So, what are these sessions like? Anything but laid-back! The students take part in making music, whether that means playing an instrument, singing or dancing. Each week, they invite an expert in a different musical genre to the school and given the centre\u2019s ethnic diversity, they cover many Islamic, African or Eastern European musical traditions as well<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Music is also integrated into other subjects, such as Maths or History, helping students to learn theories, rules or dates. If that wasn\u2019t enough, Naveed Indrees is also a proponent for art and theatre, fully incorporating these different disciplines into the schools activities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The director\u2019s motto is \u201cmusic and arts are the bedrock of educational success\u201d. The results have proven that he is right: this year, Feversham Primary Academy has received the maximum educational score from the British government<\/strong>, with all students within the country\u2019s top 10% for Maths and English. The brightest students are placed even higher, sitting among the top 2%.<\/p>\n

Thanks to culture and the introduction of a more open education, this school has managed to achieve their objective of involving every single student and has registered an attendance rate of 99%. It\u2019s not only that students are going to class and achieving good grades, but they\u2019ve also improved their socialising skills and personal well-being.<\/p>\n

The cultural exchange as a chance to explore different cultural activities<\/h2>\n

The case of Feversham Primary Academy<\/strong> can be seen as authentic proof for promoting non-formal education and learning through music, theatre and painting, as well as other arts, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n

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One way of getting involved in this type of experience is through a cultural exchange<\/strong>, where young students can get to know different disciplines without any kind of prejudice and discover that there are no limits to what you can learn.<\/p>\n

For example, you could propose a cultural exchange with music schools from other regions or countries<\/strong> and share and learn about their folklore, an authentic way to pass on language, history and different perspectives.<\/p>\n

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You could also propose an exchange with theatre companies that take cultural trips; with organisations that employ pioneering teaching models, or get together a group of students interested in activities organised at your school, there are no limits to what you can learn<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

If you come from an artistic educational centre or a cultural organisation and you want to offer your students a cultural exchange, register at dothegap and share your experienc<\/strong>e. We\u2019re waiting for you!<\/p>\n

If you want to know more about Feversham Primary Academy<\/strong> and their progress, take a look at the following links:<\/span><\/p>\n