16th and 17th November 2026
Home / Schedule / 10:45am - 11:30am
  • Breakout Session

Leading Inclusive Ensembles and Empowering Young People in Rehearsals

  • 17th November 2026
  • 10:45am - 11:30am
  • Room 7

Discover practical approaches for leading inclusive, mixed-ability ensembles with confidence. Explore how to open up repertoire so that every young musician can participate meaningfully, and embed youth ownership into your ensemble culture.

This will be an active rehearsal so please feel free to bring a instrument if you would like. Inclusive scores can be provided on request.

What key themes will be discussed?
  • Inclusive, multi-access and blended music learning
  • Peer and personal practice
  • A co-owned approach to rehearsal planning with young people
  • Building psychological safety
  • Adaptable repertoire and active inclusion
What are the learning outcomes and key takeaways?
  • Explore co-planning in rehearsals with young people.
  • Understand the importance of inclusive scores.
This session will be of particular interest to:
  • Those who are aiming high for mixed ability music groups.
Interactions
  • Audience participation
  • Group discussion
  • Audience Q&A

Speakers

  • Emma Oliver-Trend

    Orchestras for All

Emma Oliver-Trend

Orchestras for All

Emma Oliver-Trend is a music leader based in Cornwall. She has been working with Orchestras for All (OFA) for 10 years, focusing on developing inclusive, youth-centred and creative ensemble music-making.

Emma is also part of the founding faculty of AIM, the Academy for Impact through Music contributing to the developing of the AIM Teaching and Learning Framework, Firebird Fellowship and program coaching, supporting teachers and Music for Social Action programs across the world in developing socially-impactful, change-driven music pedagogy. Emma is also co-director of the newly-emerging Cornwall Youth Folk Ensemble with Lowender.

In practice, Emma is interested in the promotion of creativity, collaboration and agency in orchestral practice and is experimenting with models to develop new practice which nurture these values within youth ensemble contexts. Please talk to her at this conference if you are also interested in developing these things.

Alternative Breakout Sessions

10:45am

  • Breakout Sessions

  • Seen by Everyone, Held by No One: Why music education teaches the most important skill of the digital age

  • 10:45am - 11:30am
  • Main Hall sponsored by SpeedAdmin

What if we've been describing music education wrong? At a time of rising youth distress, arts education may be one of the few environments where young people learn how to be seen, take risks, recover from failure and navigate digital life.

  • Benjamin Turner

  • Written in September, Still Breathing by January?

  • 10:45am - 11:30am
  • Wolfson Lecture Theatre

One Hub. Many places. One strategy that has to hold it all together. This practical workshop helps Music Hubs keep their inclusion strategy alive, honest and actually working.

  • Sam Stimpson

  • Unlocking Musical Participation: Sensory approaches to singing and opera

  • 10:45am - 11:30am
  • Rooms 4 & 5 sponsored by Cosmo

Explore how sensory-led approaches to singing and opera can create meaningful, inclusive musical experiences for children and young people with SEND, using practical strategies drawn from the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Schools Sing programme.

  • Dominic Oldfield

  • One Musicianship: Bridging traditional and contemporary teaching in the music classroom

  • 10:45am - 11:30am
  • Rooms 8 & 9 sponsored by The Royal Corps of Army Music

Can music teachers confidently teach beyond their own musical background? Discover how embodied, inclusive pedagogies bridge formal and informal approaches, developing musicianship and building confidence across musical traditions.

  • Mark Aitchison
Full programme