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Facilitation Skills: Theory and Practice - MUS00106M

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  • Department: Music
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module summary

This module examines leadership and facilitation within community music, exploring the spectrum of approaches and diversity of skills required to work effectively, creatively and adaptably.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24

Module aims

During this module, you will develop your understanding of the ways in which community musicians work with people, the theory underpinning a variety of facilitation and leadership approaches, and the skills required to work flexibly in response to the needs of a group or situation. Topics covered will include: situational leadership, responsive workshop planning, the management of group dynamics and behaviour, and approaches to building safe creative spaces.

This module will also take a practical approach, demonstrating facilitation and leadership in action in a variety of areas, such as co-creation in composition, interaction in performance, work across artforms and cultures, and in a range of settings.

You will be supported in auditing your professional skill sets and reflecting on their own leadership and facilitation styles through a structured reflective process.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module you should be able to:

  • Plan workshops that are creative, safe, well-structured, responsive and flexible;

  • Apply knowledge of leadership theories to a range of contexts in workshop planning, delivery and reflection;

  • Reflect critically and constructively on your own creative and facilitative skill sets;

  • Identify strengths and weaknesses in your use of a range of leadership and facilitation styles.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.

Indicative reading

Henley, J. and J. Parks. (2020). “The Pedagogy of a Prison and Community Music Programme: Spaces for Conflict and Safety.” International Journal of Community Music 13 (1): 7–27. https://doi.org/doi:10.1386/ijcm_00008_1.

Mather, Bex and David A. Camlin. (2016). Situational Pedagogy in Community Music. ISME CMA.

Moser, Pete and George McKay. (2005). Community Music: a Handbook. Lyme Regis: Russell House.

Paynter, John. (1970). Sound and Silence: Classroom Projects in Creative Music. Edited by Peter Aston. London: Cambridge University Press.

Paynter, John. (1992). Sound & Structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rogers, Bill. (2015). Classroom Behaviour: a Practical Guide to Effective Teaching, Behaviour Management and Colleague Support, 4th ed. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Stevens, John. (2007). Search & Reflect: a Music Workshop Handbook. Edited by Ollie Crooke. Teddington, Middlesex: Rockschool.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.