Electric Umbrella Express EDI

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through Music

Make a booking or enquiry

Electric Umbrella Express

Our ground-breaking education programme for mainstream primary schools across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire & North London.

Make a booking or enquiry

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through Music

PSHE delivered through creativity and music, co-led by professional and learning disabled musicians. Bringing the entire school community together to celebrate neurodiversity and understand equity. The learning can be developed further at specific key stage levels - both with additional classroom based workshops with Electric Umbrella, or teacher-led from the digital teaching resource supporting each workshop.
 
All workshops follow the social model of disability. Through musical excellence we aim to inspire teachers and children to be ‘a little more Electric Umbrella’.

Working alongside our colleagues at Sarratt Primary School, our professional and learning disabled musicians devised a programme of “off the shelf” interactive EDI focussed workshops -  although content can also be tailored to meet your school’s individual needs.

Delivered as a full school workshop in the morning, and key stage specific class group workshops in the afternoon. All workshops stand alone and work well as a series over the academic year.

All equipment is provided. Full day visits as well as Morning and afternoon sessions are available on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the year.



Make a booking or enquiry

EDI through music

Schedule of the day:

10.30 - 11.30: Full school workshop
1.00 - 1.45 and 2.00 - 2.45: Afternoon smaller workshops
Makey Makey jamming at lunch

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through Music

PSHE delivered through creativity and music, co-led by professional musicians and learning disabled EU members. Bringing the entire school community together to celebrate neurodiversity and understand equity. The learning can be developed further at specific key stage levels - both with additional classroom based workshops with Electric Umbrella, or teacher-led from the digital teaching resource supporting each workshop.
 
All workshops follow the social model of disability, and through a high quality and calibre provision of music we aim to inspire teachers and children to be ‘a little more Electric Umbrella’.

Through a residency working with the staff and children of Sarratt Primary School, alongside our members and professionals, we devised a programme of “off the shelf” EDI based live sessions -  although workshops and programmes can also be tailored to meet your school’s individual needs.

Delivered as a full school workshop in the morning, and key stage specific class group workshops in the afternoon. All workshops stand alone and work well as a series over the academic year.

All equipment is provided. Full day visits as well as Morning and afternoon sessions are available on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the year.


Make a booking or enquiry

EDI through music

Schedule of the day:

10.30 - 11.30: Full school workshop
1.00 - 1.45 and 2.00 - 2.45: Afternoon smaller workshops
Makey Makey jamming at lunch

"This was some of the best professional learning we have done! Inclusion 2.0 for us will be integration. Thank you from all at Haringey Music Service and Haringey Council."

- Haringey Council's Music Service

"This was some of the best professional learning we have done! Inclusion 2.0 for us will be integration. Thank you from all at Haringey Music Service and Haringey Council."

- Haringey Council's Music Service

"This was some of the best professional learning we have done! Inclusion 2.0 for us will be integration. Thank you from all at Haringey Music Service and Haringey Council."

- Haringey Council's Music Service

The world needs to be a little more Electric Umbrella

We can deliver a range of workshops, you can choose from the following.

What is EDI?

Introducing Makaton! By learning the Divergent A-Z song, the children will learn to sign the alphabet and their own names, normalise the use of supported speech and understand why it’s helpful.


Question: Where do I start with my classroom? Exploring the language of EDI


Learning intention: To explore the language around equality and inclusion.

Acceptance
- Prejudice


Don’t judge a book by its cover, things are not what they seem, ‘take a little time’ getting to know the person beyond the wheelchair or ‘difference’ in appearances.


Question: At what point did you judge me?


Learning intention: To reflect on their own perspectives of life and their experiences of judgement.

The Right Direction
- Leading Disabled People as Leaders


A percussion and singing based workshop where the children are experiencing our learning disabled members as leaders through call and response experiences to music making.


Question: How do you make the invisible visible?


Learning intention: Write a classroom strategy where everyone is heard.

Try Smiling

- Social Literacy


Become socially literate when it comes to talking about disability. Explore language, and fears about getting it wrong. Learn the song ‘Try Smiling’, and explore the lyrics and why smiling as a first point of communication is so important!


Question: Is silence worse than saying the wrong thing?


Learning intention: To explore and reflect upon the consequences of choices of others and the effect they have had on our society.

Shine a Light

- Integration vs Inclusion


Become socially literate when it comes to talking about disability. Explore language, and fears about getting it wrong. Learn the song ‘Try Smiling’, and explore the lyrics and why smiling as a first point of communication is so important!


Question: Is silence worse than saying the wrong thing?


Learning intention: To explore and reflect upon the consequences of choices of others and the effect they have had on our society.

Reset the Clocks

- Social Model of Disability


Pianos are not built for everyone, and neither are buildings with stairs or places that need you to be quiet… So let's reset the clocks and rethink the way things are built - by building a banana piano, and using adapted technology to understand how we can make things accessible to meet individual needs.


Question: When will the world be ready for me?


Learning intention: To explore and reflect upon the consequences of choices of others and the effect they have had on our society.

No Such Thing as Normal

- Everyone is Different


Through the power of learning the song ‘No Such Thing as Normal’ and exploring the lyrics through a highly interactive performance, this message will be embedded across your school!


Question: If you had a button that would make you normal would you press it?


Learning intention: To write a whole school manifesto which acknowledges difference.

I am


Exploring who we are. Building confidence and getting to know more about people than might be apparent from our perceptions. Led through song and literacy.

Got a question? Our team is on hand to chat -  just drop us an email.

The music featured in all our workshops is available on all the usual streaming services.

Electric Umbrella on Apple Music
Electric Umbrella on Spotify

What people are saying about Electric Umbrella's Education programmes:

 "We loved it all. The children were thrilled to experience live music and important conversations were opened up. The messages about inclusivity that your team delivered were so important."

"It was very heartwarming and provided an amazing message. My class have been singing the songs and have formed their own band this week since seeing the performance!"

 "The staff were moved to tears at one point and then laughing at other times. The children of all ages were spellbound...We have a wide range of children with different needs at our school and they were all engaged. The staff loved how all the performers interacted and the children enjoyed being part of such a fun session."

 "The children were wary (and quiet) at first but could soon see that learning disabilities are nothing to be frightened of. They were thoroughly engaged and enjoyed every moment!" 

 "[The Session] got them talking. There was some feedback about visitors that were 'weird' and obviously we spoke at length with the children who used that language to shift and evolve their thinking/fears.  The VITAL aspect of your work with us was that this conversation happened and the issue and feeling of our children were raised and highlighted (so that they could be targeted in a focused way)."

 "It opened up important conversations and allowed the children to receive important messages about celebrating individuality."

 "Your workshop was amazing, truly inspirational and engaged over 800 children. Thank you!"

"I...cannot praise your team enough. It was a phenomenal experience enjoyed by the whole school - Nursery through to Year 6 - and the positive message was inspiring. We definitely want to do the same sort of thing next year and I will be directing my School Council towards promoting your charity as one of our fundraisers. In the words of the children, it was awesome!"

What people are saying about Electric Umbrella's Education programmes:

"I...cannot praise your team enough. It was a phenomenal experience enjoyed by the whole school - Nursery through to Year 6 - and the positive message was inspiring. We definitely want to do the same sort of thing next year and I will be directing my School Council towards promoting your charity as one of our fundraisers. In the words of the children, it was awesome!"

 "The staff were moved to tears at one point and then laughing at other times. The children of all ages were spellbound...We have a wide range of children with different needs at our school and they were all engaged. The staff loved how all the performers interacted and the children enjoyed being part of such a fun session."

 "[The Session] got them talking. There was some feedback about visitors that were 'weird' and obviously we spoke at length with the children who used that language to shift and evolve their thinking/fears.  The VITAL aspect of your work with us was that this conversation happened and the issue and feeling of our children were raised and highlighted (so that they could be targeted in a focused way)."

 "Your workshop was amazing, truly inspirational and engaged over 800 children. Thank you!"

 "We loved it all. The children were thrilled to experience live music and important conversations were opened up. The messages about inclusivity that your team delivered were so important."

"It was very heartwarming and provided an amazing message. My class have been singing the songs and have formed their own band this week since seeing the performance!"

 "The children were wary (and quiet) at first but could soon see that learning disabilities are nothing to be frightened of. They were thoroughly engaged and enjoyed every moment!" 

 "It opened up important conversations and allowed the children to receive important messages about celebrating individuality."

Check out the other programmes we have on offer:

Our interactive music workshops for SEND schools across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London.



Learn more

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) awareness days delivered through music for students in secondary schools across select locations.


Learn more

Our digital toolkit with lesson plans and resources to deliver EDI workshops in mainstream primary school classrooms across the UK.



Learn more

Check out the other programmes we have on offer:

Our interactive music workshops for SEND schools across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London.

Learn more

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) awareness days delivered through music for students in secondary schools across select locations.


Learn more

Our digital toolkit with lesson plans and resources to deliver EDI workshops in mainstream primary school classrooms across the UK.



Learn more

Check out the other programmes we have on offer:

Our interactive music workshops for SEND schools across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London.
Learn more
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) awareness days delivered through music for students in secondary schools across select locations.
Learn more
Our digital toolkit with lesson plans and resources to deliver EDI workshops in mainstream primary school classrooms across the UK.
Learn more
A free online weekly broadcast for all SEND schools across the UK. 45 minutes of fully interactive, vibrant music-making with a new theme each week.
Learn more
A fun-filled music experience with original songs for any child aged five or under and a parent or carer in our Studio in Hemel Hempstead or available to visit early years settings.
Learn more

Got a question? Send our team an email and we’ll get back to you.

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