Transformative Education
About this course
Course length: 12 Weeks
Days per week: 2 days
Sessions per day: 4 sessions
Eligibility: Referral only
Mission Statement
Our main aim is to provide our students with the best knowledge of the creative and music industries, whilst giving participants the opportunity to develop additional and essential skills required for a job in the workplace.
We aim to deliver lessons that are current and relevant to the industry, through the immense first-hand experience of our tutors who are all very well established within the sector.
Our intervention programmes have been a tremendous success working alongside the Northamptonshire police with their CIRV (Community Initiative to Reduce Violence) programme, which was spearheaded by Chief Inspector Daryl Lyon.
Our transformative education aims to reduce Anti-Social Behaviour and divert young people from gang membership, especially older teenagers who are more likely to be perpetrators of violent activities contributing to a core objective to prevent crime by investing in early intervention!
More Information
Delivering and implementing an exceptional curriculum to engage and enthuse learners, sometimes from a variety of extreme personal situations, has led to outstanding results as an intervention.
Working between both private and public sectors, and with a plethora of objectives, tailored education using mainstream media at industry-standard & bespoke delivery techniques focusing on things like, Personal Development, well-being, restorative practice, and transferable skills all feed into creating a positive environment, focused on the child or student to flourish.
By keeping the focus on the social mission, we offer an alternative to the challenging behaviours very often present, making us a viable and visible alternative to achieving social change.
Whichever region we find ourselves in, we look for opportunities within the community as we believe in building a safe, positive impact on not only the learner but also their wider surroundings.
For example, in Northamptonshire, we engaged with local community radio stations, where learners could air their first songs or creations, and in other instances, we gave young rappers, DJs and singers opportunities to perform at local festivals and clubs. It is our experience, that on occasion it is difficult for young people to see positivity beyond their social circles, particularly those engulfed in ‘gang’ life. Diverting attention to the bigger creative picture, and providing real-life opportunities to grow and develop, can distract and, in some cases, transform a young person’s view of the world, but more importantly themselves.
What we have learned
We have learned along the way that we must adapt and find a way to extract information from the hardest to reach in society and by gently peeling back the layers, we can come to an understanding and an equilibrium through music and our creative sessions.
For example, we have found that our lyric writing sessions are a fantastic way to obtain valuable information to gain a better understanding of each pupil or student.
We have worked with psychologists and, with the candidate’s approval, given the lyrics written which are more often about the personal lives and what the candidate is going through in society. This information is vital to acknowledge as then we can start to access the needs of the individual.
Equality & Diversity
We ensure a strong promotion of equal opportunities throughout the organisation including regular staff training sessions and updates discussed at staff meetings and debriefs.
We are proud to be partnered with the Northamptonshire CIRV team (Community Initiative to Reduce Violence)
CIRV is working within the community to bring a first-of-its kind academic embedded music program tackling Knife Crime, Gangs and Violence on our streets by giving our next generation a choice of alternative pathways, better choices and thought processes.
After a chance meeting with Inspector Daryl Lyons at The Platform venue in 2018, we realised that by working with like-minded people, we can make a difference and substantial change in the community.
The CIRV program gives learners a way out by offering jobs and opportunities into the Night Time Industries with our preferred partners NTIA (Night Time Industries Association) with our bespoke course written to find the strengths and weaknesses of each individual, whether in a music medium or in a creative hub full of industry professionals and tutors with a wealth of knowledge, happy to guide individuals to follow their dreams.
We have already experienced the way Music and Education can enrich a young mind, while giving learners the chance to build themselves as better characters and make better choices.
By integrating our learners and asking them to leave all preconceptions at the door, we have witnessed rival gang members coming together in the studio, writing lyrics, rapping, mc’ing and collaborating on tracks in our music production lessons, where they have to work as a team to make the music work.
Success stories
The tutors highlighted the following 2 students as effective in their progress through the traineeship:
“X joined us on our last cohort, which was the first CIRV programme. Shy yet smart, it was clear he had a wealth of talent to unleash, and over the 12 weeks he has produced some amazing music. He has released tracks on multiple platforms and currently has 14k plays on his “so fine” track. X excelled on his traineeship and is now on the BBO “Building Better Opportunities” programme, where he is working hard to get closer to his dreams of becoming a prolific artist and potential LLSOM tutor.”
“X joined us on our first CIRV cohort at the school, he was quiet, barely visible under his hood, and would always have his headphones on blocking out the world. After passing his 12-week course and his functional skills English exams, X is now becoming a gifted lyric writer and mentor. His love for writing was introduced through the trials and tribulations he has faced throughout his life, and he is turning these into a passion. We cannot stop him from writing, the hood is down and the headphones are never in. He plans to be a talented writer in the future and wants to help others like we have helped him.”