Electric Umbrella prepare to launch new equality, diversity and education resource

Later this week, we’re going to be launching a ground-breaking education initiative for mainstream schools across the UK.

Electric Umbrella Express is our new equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programme featuring a series of seven off-the-shelf lessons designed for primary school aged children. 

The content has been co-created by Electric Umbrella members who have worked alongside children at Sarratt Primary School.  Resources have been robustly tested over the last six months. 

EDI is a complex topic, and so the programme has been designed to provide teachers with resources and support to enable meaningful and engaging learning opportunities for students. 

As well as individual plans, each lesson will come with a new song that has been written by Electric Umbrella members with pro-musicians to inspire discussion about each theme. 

Over the last year, the charity has interacted with over 40,000 school children, teachers and staff. In doing so, they’ve taken the knowledge of a decade working with learning disabled people and built a powerful mix around a simple idea: there’s no such thing as normal.

The new programme will launch on Thursday (27 April) at a unique ‘Un-convention’ at Watford Palace Theatre. A morning session will be attended by around 50 education leaders.

In the afternoon the new songs will be ‘premiered’ in a multimedia extravaganza by children from Sarratt Primary School, who will perform alongside members and accompanied by Electric Umbrella’s house band. Tickets for this part of the day are still available, here.

Key themes that will be included in Electric Umbrella Express are:

• What Is EDI?
• Prejudice (two lessons) 
• Language and social literacy
• Learning disabled people as leaders
• Integration vs inclusion
• Everyone is different or “unconventional”

Mel Boda is our CEO here at Electric Umbrella. She says: “Our mission at Electric Umbrella is to help create amazing music experiences with learning disabled people - and in doing so challenge the way the world sees our community, and others. 

“From the thousands of engagements we’ve had from visiting hundreds of schools across the UK, it’s clear that teachers find EDI a really complicated subject, not least the language of inclusion. 

“We also know from our research that teachers are stretched and face competing demands. 

“For that reason, we believe Electric Umbrella Express will be an essential resource for primary schools, as well as helping to meaningfully challenge young people to have open, honest conversations. 

Deputy Head Teacher at Sarratt Primary School Mo Serby has led the development of the teacher resource pack.

“What makes this proposition so powerful and credible is the way it has been co-designed with Electric Umbrella’s members and pro-musicians alongside our own children,” she explained. 

“I love the fact that this project has been built on the idea of “nothing about us, without us”. The role of learning disabled people is just so important. 

“It was equally important to ensure that the resources that have been developed are teacher-friendly. I work in a small school, teaching a Year 4 class full time, in addition to my leadership responsibilities. I get it: the demands, stresses and challenges. 

“It’s therefore brilliant that the resources really speak to teachers, providing them with clear learning intentions for each lesson, key questions, ideas for assessing learning - as well as the brilliant music!”

Electric Umbrella member Miles Jay Riley has been part of the team that has worked on this project. He added: “I find it really enjoyable. I love working with the kids, it’s changing people’s lives.”

Development work for Electric Umbrella Express is generously supported by the Royal Opera House Bridge’s Learning Development Fund. Watford Borough Council have subsidised the cost of places at the launch.

Stay tuned for details of how your school can purchase a licence in the next few days!