It’s the Season to Blossom and Grow!

31 March 2025

Open your minds and blossom with some late spring & early summer Early Years training! 

We have a range of workshops, both online and in-person, to help you grow your Early Years knowledge and skills. For people living or working in Somerset and Dorset we are able to offer our events either for FREE or just £5.  

See them all on the Take Art website or click on the individual links below: 

Support and funding for these events is from: Youth Music; Somerset Music Hub (part of Octagon Music Hub) and Yeovil College. 

Bursaries to help you study and thrive 

Certificate for Music Educators: Early Childhood 

Course fee bursaries are available for those living or working in Somerset, Dorset and Devon.  Please apply to your local organisation as follows: 

Somerset: Take Art, email Jennie Loader at earlyyears@takeart.org  

Devon: Devon Music Education Hub, email Charlotte.Gibbs@devon.gov.uk 

Dorset: Dorset Music Service, email hannah.reeves@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk 

This course is for you if you answer YES to any of these questions: 

  • Would you like to develop and enhance your skills in early years music?
  • Would you like to understand more about making music with young children?
  • Would you like to learn in a supportive environment? 
  • Would you like to form a community of learning to explore with others?
  • Would you like a nationally recognised Level 4 qualification? 

Registration is now open for 2025-2026.   

Full details and application information can be found on the Centre for Research in Early Childhood website. 

Information flyer: Certificate for Music Educators: Early Childhood

Nurturing Creativity in Early Years Conference  

The Take Art Early Years team were delighted to join forces with Devon Music Education Hub Early Years team on Friday 21 March to provide this day of sharing and learning. 

A passion for and belief in the power of creativity to support children and staff was a common factor for delegates and facilitators alike at this event.  Through interactive workshops provided by Charlotte Gibbs (Devon Music Education Hub), Jane Parker (Take Art Early Years Specialist) and Rosie Walton (freelance Early Years Music practitioner and Educationalist) plus a powerful keynote by Dr Susan Young we shared skills, learning and questions around how we can embed creativity in the current education system.   

Thank you to all who were able to join us at this rich and thought-provoking day. 

Conference speakers. Left to right: Jennie Loader, Dr Susan Young, Jane Parker, Rosie Walton, Charlotte Gibbs

Growing our projects – branching out and growing new shoots 

Little People Big Ideas Early Years Creativity Project 

March has been a month of working with early years practitioners and visiting settings to develop collaborative creative approaches ready for pilot sessions which will take place in the summer term. 

Jane and Richard – the project’s early years creative practitioners - have been thrilled by the warm welcome and positive, creative children and adults they have met who are helping to grow this project beautifully. 

SoundWaves Network SW (SWNSW) Early Years Music Project 

Collaboration: Skilled and experienced early years music practitioners continue to share knowledge and work in partnership with nursery and reception class staff. Currently we are working with four settings, two in Southampton and two in Bournemouth/Poole.  This collaborative way of working provides stimulating, enriching and joyful music experiences for the children. Early years staff also receive training in how to deliver high quality early years music sessions which supports the children’s learning, the curriculum and everyone’s wellbeing.  

Workforce Development: One of the strengths of SWNSW is that workforce development that takes place both via our project delivery and also through online/in-person CPD sessions.  Having a workforce who is confident and equipped to deliver high quality music experiences to early years children is key to their musical development and the support across the curriculum that music can provide. 

Research: Alongside the delivery of our projects and CPD events Take Art commissioned Dr Karen Wickett (University of Plymouth) to undertake research to gain insights into the SWNSW partners’ understanding of early years music, the early years sector, and their current collaborations with education and training sectors.  This research aimed to answer these questions: 

What are the understandings of music education hubs and music service leaders regarding the early years sector, pedagogy, and training? 

What opportunities exist for music organisation personnel to collaborate with university, further education colleges and other training providers? 

This research is now complete and you can read the findings here.