MRes Studentship – Generating Insights into Music Education Provision across Liverpool City Region

This scholarship is awarded through University of Liverpool’s groundbreaking new programme, MusicFutures, in collaboration with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Sound! Music Hub.

MusicFutures brings together academics and creative industry partners to deliver a programme of equality-focused and inclusive research and design (R&D)-led innovation and business development for the Liverpool City Region.

Sound! Music Hub brings together a variety of organisations to deliver music education and career pathways to children and young people in Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Warrington.

MusicFutures scoping on Liverpool City Region music sector has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive understanding of school-age music education provision. Sound! Music Hub currently experiences challenges around inconsistent data and a requirement for deeper insights beyond standard reporting to enable more informed decision-making and to develop best practice case studies of successful pilot projects. Essentially, this MRes study will use academic research methods to inform and address practical sector needs such as:

• Understanding data from a geographical (place) and school capacity perspective
• Gaining insights into non-participation, for example, “why are people not engaging?”
• Streamlining existing data on participation and reach
• Developing robust case studies for internal use and for Arts Council reporting.

To deliver this MRes project, you will:

• Have monthly supervision the University of Liverpool’s Department of Music and Sounds Music Hub staff
• Engage with the Sound!’s Youth Board to devise and develop the research priorities and plan
• Engage with Sound!’s data strategy to map and analyse current education provision across the region
• Identify gaps and opportunities to improve
• Develop methods for more effective use of existing data and identify areas that would benefit from additional data
• Identify and engage with stakeholders to understand practical needs and ambitions
• Gain experience of working with a regional music education hub
• Broaden your professional networks
• Engage with other MusicFutures activities
• Submit an MRes thesis.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of music, education, skills and talent development and sector mapping, bringing together the spatial data, participant engagement, and evaluation of educational outcomes. The research will help shape a more nuanced, inclusive, and practical approach to the development of future music education provision across the region. We’re looking for candidates with:

• A genuine interest in, and passion for, helping people to improve their lives and make the best of themselves
• An undergraduate degree in a relevant field (music, planning, human geography, social or data science and other related fields)
• Demonstrable interest in the music education field, social impact assessments, or community-centred approaches
• Strong research skills, including literature review, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis
• Strong interpersonal skills, confident in engaging with a range of stakeholders
• Clear and thoughtful written communication, with the ability to produce engaging and accessible outputs
• Experience or knowledge of the music education or wider cultural and creative sector (through study, work, volunteering or personal interest)
• Ability to work independently and take initiative.

1. Contact supervisors

You’ll be supervised by:

• Dr Richard Anderson (email: Richard.Anderson@liverpool.ac.uk)
• A member of the Sounds! Music Hub team.

Please contact pgarts@liverpool.ac.uk for any queries regarding the application process.

2. Prepare your application documents

You will need to supply the following documents to support your application:

• • BA award certificates and transcripts (or evidence of equivalent professional experience)
  • Two references (one must be an academic reference)
  • CV
  • Passport details
  • Personal statement (1 page) detailing how you meet the ideal candidate criteria and how you would contribute to project success
  • A short proposal (3-4pages) detailing how you would approach the project and the research
  • If applicable: English language certificate (IELTS minimum overall 6.5, with at least 6.5 in Writing, and no other component below 6.0) or accepted equivalent.

3. Apply

Finally, register and apply online. You’ll receive an email acknowledgment once you’ve submitted your application. We’ll be in touch with further details about what happens next.

Please submit an application to MRes Music.

In the funding section, note that you will be applying to the ‘Master of Research in Generating Insights into Music Education Provision Across Liverpool City Region scholarship’.