Inclusive Ensembles & Orchestras: Practical Models for Music Services

Every young person should have the chance to be in a band or orchestra, including those in special schools and alternative provision.

In this 45-minute webinar, Digit Music shares practical models, tools, and resources to set up and sustain, or support existing inclusive ensembles/orchestras across your area.

We’ll connect real classroom examples and work with Able Orchestra, BBC Ten Pieces, Music Mark and Youth Music to current thinking on EDI and accessible instruments, showing how this fits your hub strategy and day-to-day delivery.

• What inclusive ensembles look/sound like - practical examples across SEND and mixed-ability groups.
• Foundational strategies - supportive culture, flexible recruitment (beyond auditions), accessible spaces/communication.
• Inside the Inclusive Ensemble Pack - Composer (CMPSR joystick controllers), Swipe gesture-to-sound apps (eye/hand/head), Arrownotes notation, songbooks/activities, and a pathway from 1:1 → small groups → full ensemble (no standard notation required).
• Teacher-led delivery - non-specialist teachers lead; hub tutors enable (not bottlenecks).
• Fit for your service - pilots, CPD, alignment with WCET/WCIT, progression, and EDI guidance.
• Live glimpse - quick demo of CMPSR, Swipe + Arrownotes in action.
  

• Heads of Music Service / Hub Leads
• Inclusion & SEND leads within music services
• Ensemble & progression leads
• Instrumental tutors and project leads in SEND/inclusive settings
• Strategic partners planning inclusive ensemble projects with hubs
  

• A clear picture of what inclusive ensembles/orchestras look and sound like (aligned with sector EDI thinking).
• A practical pathway you can lift and adapt: 1:1 → small groups → full ensemble/performance.
• Teacher-led delivery made doable with the Ensemble Pack + Arrownotes (no extra specialists required).
• Action options for 25/26: pilots, CPD, partnership models.
• Free resources for schools (Arrownotes Christmas Song Book + Swipe web app).
• The bigger why: how inclusive, tech-enabled ensembles build a more diverse future pipeline.
  

Digit Music is an award-winning UK MusicEdTech, DfE-approved company pioneering inclusive music through adaptive technology. Our platform combines CMPSR (joystick controller), the Swipe app (web/mobile/desktop), and Arrownotes accessible notation and curriculum.

We work with special and mainstream schools and music hubs across the UK to make music-making accessible, engaging, and sustainable for every learner. We're featured in Creative United’s Guide to Buying Adaptive Musical Instruments and listed by Take it Away in the UK accessible-instruments ecosystem.