Post by Traditional Music forum on Jan 28, 2021 12:09:14 GMT
DRAFT WORK PLAN
2021 - 2022
CONTEXT
This work plan for the Traditional Music Forum covering the period to the end of the extension period granted to Regularly Funded Organisations (March 2022) has been developed in the light of two important considerations, first the effects of the Covid emergency of 2020, and second the public policy context.
In the last twenty years traditional music has become a matter of public policy in Scotland, with expectations that, a case for its support having been made, it be considered and resourced on an equal footing with other claims on the cultural budget.
To bring some structure to its policy for support for culture the Scottish Government published ‘A Culture Strategy for Scotland’ early in 2020. It outlines the following Guiding Principles
• Culture in Scotland is valued in and of itself
• Culture is free to be inspiring and to challenge
• Culture is central to the future wellbeing and prosperity of Scotland – cultural, social, economic and environmental
• We celebrate the diversity and excellence of cultures in Scotland and the value of open exchange with the wider world
• Everyone has the right to participate freely in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits (Article 27, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
• Place – community, landscape, language and geography – is important and reflects the creativity of the past and provides inspiration for cultural expression today
Informed by these principles the document outlines a strategy of strengthening culture, transforming through culture, and empowering through culture. Cultural support now of course includes traditional music, so it follows that what applies to culture must also apply to traditional music.
The ‘Strategy for Culture’ in its turn is aligned with the Government’s National Performance Framework. By using the cultural strategy as a framework in this way, we can strengthen our case for support by demonstrating whether our own aims and objectives broadly align with the Government’s own.
TMF PRIORITIES
We have identified the following as priority areas for our work in the next five years. All are areas that have been significantly influenced by the Covid emergency and its aftermath, particularly the live music economy, mental health, and social contact.
• Wellbeing
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Connectivity
• Industry
• Audience Development
These areas align with the national strategic framework:
Wellbeing
• culture is central to Scotland’s wellbeing and cultural, social, economic and environmental prosperity
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Encourage greater openness and diverse cultures to reflect a changing Scotland in the 21st century
• Recognise each community’s own local cultures in generating a distinct sense of place, identity and confidence
Connectivity
• Foster international collaboration and build on Scotland’s reputation for cultural excellence
• Open up the potential of culture as a transformative opportunity across society
• Extend the view of culture to include the everyday and emerging, the established and more formal
• Extend opportunities that enable people to take part in culture throughout their lives
Industry
• Value, trust and support creative people – for their unique and vital contribution to society and the economy
• Continue to celebrate Scotland’s cultural contributions
Audience
• Develop the conditions and skills for culture and traditions to thrive, so they are cared for, protected and produced for the enjoyment and enrichment of all present and future generations
• Extend opportunities that enable people to take part in culture throughout their lives
HOW WE ADDRESS THE PRIORITY AREAS
Programmes of Activity
• Training / Mentoring
• Promotion / Support
• Information provision / knowledge share
• Case Studies
• Research
• Advocacy
WELLBEING
Aim: to support the wellbeing of staff, members and the sector and keep it at the heart of our activities.
Projects
Initiate and collaborate on research on the use of drugs and alcohol in the traditional music community
Produce Case Studies: gather information on the benefits to wellbeing of participating in traditional music activities
Commission Blogs: continue to commission first-person accounts on topics such as mental health
Develop and expand the TradMentor programme, currently for musicians teaching in non-formal settings, in order to support early-career musicians; consider buddy system, listening opportunity, share and support facility
Develop partnerships with Help Musicians UK, Musicians Union on promoting physical and mental health, especially post-Covid. Use the website for tips on looking after your mental health
Provide space for musicians to talk about experiences and how they impacted and helped others
Share experiences of Covid problem-solving
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (EDI)
Aim: to encourage and facilitate participation from all parts of Scottish society
Projects
Review TRACS EDI policy
Work with TRACS on EDI Awareness Training
Encourage members to have EDI plans and policies in place
Appoint an EDI Co-ordinator for the Board
Develop partnerships with EDI focused groups in order to expand the scope of the sector – esp. disability groups, gender, digital poverty/ online exclusion, Transatlantic Sessions model for cross-cultural collaboration
Create guidance on disclosure issues
CONNECTIVITY
Aim: to connecting members to other members – encouraging more partnership / joined up working and sharing of information
Projects
Encourage the restoration of social connectivity lost during lockdown through promoting and supporting informal and formal events
Produce E-Newsletters, social media and TMF website
Update Marketing Strategy
Link groups to make creative collaborations
Represent the sector
• working across all sectors to promote the contribution of traditional music
• working collaboratively in arguing for government support for culture (and by extension traditional music)
• working on national and international groups / platforms (European Folk Network, North Atlantic Song Community, Cross Party Group on Music, Culture Counts, Music Education Partnership Group, Heads of Instrumental Teaching, Scottish Community Alliance etc.)
• working with Creative Scotland to establish ways for small venues, sole practitioners and event organisers to manage financial risk
INDUSTRY
Aim: support, develop and celebrate creative people and the commercial side of traditional music
Projects
Contribute to Scottish Music Discography
Develop the website as a resource
Develop TradMentor scheme for early-career musicians
Produce Case Studies
Represent the sector on national groups / platforms
Programme CPD sessions – admin aspects of musician’s work, social media skills, funding applications, online content creation and sharing (including copyright issues), audience engagement
Produce monthly World’s Room sessions
Create a ‘road map’ showing the way to helpful resources for developing music and community practices
Facilitate Scottish presence at Frankfurt Musikmesse
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Aim: to encourage participation in and esteem for traditional music in Scotland
Projects
Develop the Digital Dimension: training, sharing resources and expertise
Produce Case Studies
Develop the Scotland Online webpage
Encourage more family events
Research how young people want to engage with traditional music
PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS SUMMARY
Training/Mentoring
TradMentor: teaching musicians, early career professionals (new)
CPD, inc. digital training
EDI awareness (new)
Promotion and Support
Membership relations
Health partnerships with Help Musicians UK, MU and others (new)
EDI policy (new)
Members’ EDI policies (new)
Board EDI Co-ordinator (new)
Partnerships with EDI organisations and groups (new)
Update Marketing Strategy
World’s Room
Information
Blogs
Website, social media, newsletters
Scotland Online
Scottish Music Discography
Case Studies (new)
See appendix
Research
Research on the use of drugs and alcohol in the traditional music community (new)
Advocacy
Represent the sector on national groups / platforms
PROJECT NEXT ACTION START COMPLETION WHO
Training/Mentoring
TradMentor Finalise plan for Teaching Musicians 2 08/20 10/21 JM/DF
TradMentor Outline mentoring scheme for early-career 10/20 12/21 JM/DF
Digital Training Needs analysis 12/20 Continuing DF
EDI Awareness Source partner organisations 01/21 Continuing DF
Promotion and Support
Membership relations One to one contacts 08/20 08/20 All
Mental health partnerships Initiate discussions with Help Musicians, MU 12/20 Continuing DF
Review TRACS EDI Policy Re-draft current policy 08/20 09/20 DF
Appoint Board EDI co-ordinator Appoint 11/20 11/20 All
Encourage members to adopt and update EDI policies Contact members 09/20 Continuing DF/TR
Develop EDI partnerships Contact groups 01/21 Continuing DF
Marketing Strategy Review current strategy 01/21 Spring 21 DF/TR
World’s Room Post-Covid programme ?02/21 Continuing DF
Information
Blogs, newsletters, social media, Scotland Online Continue Continuing Continuing TR
Website Review purpose and requirements 12/20 01/21 TR
Discography Continue to work with National Library Continuing Continuing DF
Case Studies
Case Study 1 Identify first target organisation 12/20 Spring 21 AB
Research
Drugs and Alcohol Identify academic research partners 12/20 2022 DF
Advocacy
Represent the sector Continuing Continuing Continuing DF