Collaborative MMus in New Audiences and Innovative Practice

This Collaborative Masters seeks to provide students with the necessary skills to contribute to the community of practice as innovative, reflective practitioners. The personal and professional development of the student is at the centre of this educational programme, as is the international component which enables students to profit from the expertise of the partner institutions abroad. The collaborating partner institutions are:

• Iceland Academy of the Arts, Dept of Music (IS)
• Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences, School of Music (FI)
• Prince Claus Conservatoire, Groningen (NL)
• Royal Conservatoire, The Hague (NL)

The programme is tailor-made to a large extent and is underpinned by a comprehensive mentoring process. Each student has a personal work plan, which is set up by the student and his/her mentor. In this work plan the choice for the institution abroad and optional modules are agreed, as well as extensive plans for the 'professional integration project' that the student will carry out during the second year. In consultation with the student, contact will be made with one or more professional partner institutions, which will support the student with the delivery of this major final event.

The students are encouraged to create own personal work, and will be asked to innovate in a number of different contexts. Students will specialise in one of the following three subject areas:

• Ensembles: This area will provide different ensembles of musicians in any style (classical, jazz, pop/rock, folk, avant-garde etc.) with the skills to carry out their work in new contexts and a range of audiences.

• Collaborative Practice: This area will focus on the growing needs and potential of musicians that have expertise in giving shape to inter-disciplinary and trans-cultural projects/performance events.

• Cross-sector settings: This area offers training for musicians to be active practitioners in a range of societal contexts (business setting, health care etc.)

The Master's programme will begin with an intensive international summer school week at one of the five key institutions, where the students will be able to work together with some of the programme tutors and mentors. A range of workshop and seminar activities will take place, enabling students to explore key strands of the programme and to establish effective channels of communication with their respective home institutions.The intensive week will be followed by each cohort of students spending the first semester at their home institution taking the following four compulsory modules, which will be underpinned by mentoring and personal pathway guidance:

• Action Research: How can research help you to take your practice further? This module will focus on the application of research skills, as well as an introduction to research methodology and literature.

• Leading and Guiding: an introduction to the skills and knowledge necessary to be a competent workshop/laboratory practitioner and creative leader.

• Performance and Communication: How to reach and engage an audience in a variety of innovative contexts

• Project Management and Entrepreneurship: the conceiving, implementing and realising of project/business ideas.

The second semester will be spent away from the home institution, at one of the other institutions. The choice for one of the institutions is based on the consideration which institution fits best with the personal work plan of the student, and on the availability of spaces.

The third and fourth semesters, which are spent back at the home institution, focuses on the personal development of the students through their 'professional integration project'. This will culminate in a final performance event, and involve collaborations with external professional and educational organisations such as the Barbican Centre, LSO Discovery, Royal College of Art, London Contemporary Dance School and New Directions.

Auditions

Auditions for this course are held in March/April of the year of entry. The selection procedure will be as follows:

• a first round of selection, based on a Motivation Letter, Study Plan, Curriculum Vitae and CD/DVD;
• a second round, consisting of a workshop, musical presentation and interview.

This programme is subject to validation.