Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin the life of our academic community in the Music Department.

We strive to create a diverse and welcoming environment throughout the department, where everyone is treated fairly irrespective of their differences and given an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

We understand that whilst it can be a powerful force to unite people, Music - in practice, training and scholarship – can also often be implicated in the production and maintenance of inequalities, which may be based on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, socioeconomic background, or other factors. In the Music Department, we are committed to acknowledging and reflecting on these inequalities in our teaching, embedding critical analysis of the wider values that underlie our subject throughout the curriculum.

The Music Department’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is spearheaded by an active EDI Committee, formed of staff and students at all levels.

Read the EDI Committee statement of aims.

Athena Swan

The Athena Swan Charter was established in 2005 with the aim of advancing gender equality in academia, addressing unequal gender representation across academic disciplines, professional and support functions and removing the obstacles faced by women in particular, and updated in 2015 to include trans staff and students,  at major points of career development and progression. This includes representation, the progression of students into academia, their journey through career milestones and the working environment for all staff.

The Music Department is committed to the principles of the Athena Swan Charter and achieved a Bronze Award in September 2022. The self-assessment team who worked on the submission was led by Dr James Weeks, and consisted of staff members, undergraduates and postgraduates from the department who are committed to promoting the best environment for learning, teaching and working.

If you would like to be a part of the team maintaining our adherence to the Athena Swan Charter, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our departmental EDI lead, Samuel Horlor.

Decolonisation

Since the Black Lives Matter protests of Summer 2020, there have been increasing calls across the university sector for the decolonisation of curricula.

The Music Department acknowledges an urgent need to address issues of decolonisation within Music Studies and within its own departmental research and teaching. In October 2020 we launched a process of debate and discussion, drawing in all staff and students. The results inform the ongoing implementation of an action plan to improve practice in our department.

View a list of reading resources.