London: Inclusive Practice in Action

Jess Thon, co-founder of TourettesHero, gives the keynote to our day on Inclusive Practice in Action.

Jess Thon, co-founder of TourettesHero, opened the Inclusive Practice in Action workshop with an inspiring keynote on inclusion. This one day of workshops and discussions focused on the themes of Early Years, Youth Voice and Social Justice. TourettesHero celebrates the humor and spontaneous creativity that comes from someone with this condition. The mission of this organization is to change the world one tic at a time. Jess shared how her thinking around tourettes transformed when Matthew Pountney, the co-founder of TourettesHero, described her tourettes as a crazy language generating machine and not doing something with it would be wasteful.  Jessʼ tics have inspired creative thinking and visual art because her tics often combine words or phrases that spark a new way of seeing things. Examples include: "Hey Siri, butter my toast." "Bought you a helicopter and a standing ovation." "A Jedi Knight in dungarees."

This quote came from her video, Hereʼs to Laughing (her tics are in parentheses):

"Adults are often nervous about even calling me disabled. They clearly see it as a negative term. I donʼt see it that way at all. Saying Iʼm disabled acknowledges the barriers I face because of a collective failure to consider difference (biscuit). Pretending these barrier donʼt exist doesnʼt make them go away (biscuit)...As soon as we stop shying away from difference, we can start appreciating our similarities (hedgehogs, cats, biscuits)."

Jess shared five ideas to help shape the future of young people because being inclusive doesnʼt have to be difficult:

1. Iʼm Not Disabled by My Body: a social model states that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference. Itʼs the structures, systems, attitudes put in place by society that need to change and be more flexible.
2. Adjustable Environments: having the power to adjust environments increases confidence, independence and inclusion. Make these adjustments not for the sake of inequality, but for equality and the right for everyone to feel safe to be themselves. Donʼt be afraid to trust the energy and creativity of your kids.
3. Building Resilience as an Act of Resistance: by drawing from our bank of positive experiences, we can face the negative ones. Having a support network is so important to be able to process and share negative events in our lives. Itʼs not good enough to react, but rather anticipate for the future. Jessʼ advice for teachers: expect disabled children. Donʼt wait to be told about a childʼs disability. We need to ask. 
4. Ask Questions: Jess shared that kids are much more able to ask, listen and laugh with, not at her. Adults lose this subtlety and come with their own assumptions. Learn from the children you work with.
5. Change Isnʼt Always a Battle: laughter, arts and music are powerful to effect positive change. Change starts with a question, conversation or laugh. Change can be joyful, silly and creative.

In closing Jess had this advice for us:

1. Nurture unpredictable outcomes. Donʼt be afraid to fail and make mistakes.
2. Practice everyday inclusion, which is the process of removing barriers.
3. Collaborate, innovate and improve.
4. We all do things differently. Everyone can benefit from the this approach of inclusivity. If something isnʼt working, you have the power to change: We All Can!
   

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Standing with members of School Ground Sound

How to Partner with Young People to Benefit All: the young gentlemen on this panel shared what helped them transition into radio at School Ground Sounds:

• Consistency, community and skill-building
• Programs shows them that thereʼs hope.
  
• Survey students to choose workshops.
  
• Create a place that "allows me to be me."
  
• Offer a session that meets only 2 or 3x. Then if theyʼre interested in more they can choose to join a lengthier and more regular workshop.
  
• Instead of making it feel like work, make it feel like "youʼre just chillinʼ"
  
• Give feedback forms at the end of each session, but keep it simple and short.
  
• Have an open door policy - not formal, but one thatʼs relaxed - just come in!
  
• Have food and a common room for those who need space or to meet new friends. Make it feel like a 2nd home, a safe space.

Their last two points really resonated with me: find ways to stay connected even when the program is over and help them enter this world by showing them how. In many ways, this young man addressed the importance of social and cultural capital, which Alastair Wilson and Katie Hunter at the University of Strathclyde have tried to address with their Intergenerational Mentoring Network, which supports one-to-one mentoring to improve outcomes for youth as they progress through the education system. The network draws on the knowledge, experience and networks of older adults and retirees to help students successfully access careers in which theyʼre interested.

I also had a chance to network with many professionals interested in the intersection between music education, inclusion and social justice. Katy Robinson from the National Foundation for Youth Music shared this Reports and Resource page, which includes Youth Music evaluation tools and a quality framework.

And last but not least, I met Fran Hannan, Managing Director of Musical Futures (MF). She is one of the main reasons why I am here in the UK. The work that she has done in the field of making music accessible to all students is inspiring. I am excited to take Musical Futuresʼ trainings that she and her Champion MF teachers will be offering throughout my tenure here. She also has connected me to schools throughout the UK that are implementing Musical Futures approaches in their music class. Thank you, Fran, for your generous spirit! I look forward to March when Iʼll be attending your Just Play training in Carlisle.

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