The first working group meetings in the two year strategic partnership “NAIP: Innovation in Higher Music Education” have taken place. The strategic partnership, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, aims at the modernisation of curricula, and teaching and learning approaches in higher music education through a further development of the European Music Master for New Audiences and Innovative Practice (NAIP). In the programme, students are trained to become diverse and highly employable musicians, capable of dealing with all the challenges that will arise throughout their careers. They learn to develop and lead creative projects in diverse artistic community and cross-sector settings. The goal is to teach students to create and communicate to new audiences, and to develop their leadership skills in various artistic and social contexts.
Online Teaching and Resources
The working group on online teaching and resources met for the first time in Groningen, February 1st – 2nd. The group’s aim is to reflect on how on-line tools could support teaching and learning in NAIP, to explore opportunities offered by a further possible development of the current NAIP website, and to look into the possibilities of setting up an on-line platform for exchange of information between the NAIP partners.
This working group will also organise a blended mobility course for students from the participating institutions. The students will meet for five days intensive work, followed-up by a virtual mobility. The course will be a venue for carrying out and testing the ideas and proposals of the working group. The working group has decided that the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague will host the intensive workshop, which will be held in January 2016, followed up by online workshops throughout the semester. The content of the workshops will be organised around improvisation.
Joint Curriculum
The working group on joint curriculum development met for the first time in The Hague, February 4th – 5th. The working group’s tasks are to explore how the existing NAIP programmes could be more aligned amongst themselves in terms of content, assessment and opportunities for the mobility of staff and students. The group will also produce teaching materials for the joint modules. Furthermore, joint funding possibilities for the future will be explored within this working group.
Research
The working group on research has its first meeting scheduled in October 2015. This working group serves as a platform to discuss the role of research within the NAIP programme or NAIP-style courses. The working group will serve as a tool for current NAIP teaching staff to inform themselves about the latest development in the field of research, and to further develop the research component in the NAIP programme.