‘I always wanted to be a music therapist, but…’ an exploration of developing inclusivity and widening access in music therapy training through the lens of the revalidated programme at the University of South Wales

A recent report commissioned by the British Association for Music Therapy indicated that access to the music therapy profession needed to be broadened. This would enable a wider demographic of music therapists to better serve communities where access to creative therapies may be limited.

The revalidation of the MA Music Therapy programme at the University of South Wales addressed these issues in three ways. Firstly, through devising a part-time, blended learning programme utilising a range of pedagogic methods, to enable more flexible study for applicants from wider geographic and socio-economic contexts. Secondly, by decolonising the curriculum and centring approaches, resources and philosophies of those with lived experience and from beyond a white, Eurocentric lens. Finally, by developing a contemporary curriculum which responds to the needs and strengths of applicants with diverse experiences, as well as the demands of the contemporary professional landscape.

This presentation will give an overview of the curriculum that has been developed, and share the thoughts of educators, students and stakeholders who were involved in co-creating the programme, to challenge current thinking around music therapy pedagogy and relevance to contemporary music therapy practice.