Embracing equality, diversity, and inclusivity
At ICMP, we’ve long championed equal opportunities, respecting differences and creating a welcoming environment for all. We work hard every day to advocate for equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI), ensuring you’ll never be disadvantaged due to your age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or disability at our college.
This commitment to our values is upheld by ICMP’s dedicated EDI Committee. By giving EDI the attention it deserves, we support and nurture our community, empowering each individual to strive for greatness.
EDI Committee | Antisemitism | Gender Pay Gap Report | EDI Calendar | EDI Charter
Our six EDI objectives
Our EDI Committee is committed to achieving the following six key EDI objectives:
- Everyone working for and studying at ICMP will have an awareness and understanding of our EDI goals and help us ensure they underpin everything we do.
- Our staff population should be reflective of the student body, the local and wider community, and the needs of the industry.
- Our student body should be reflective of the local and wider community and the needs of the industry.
- ICMP’s approach to the values of equality, diversity and inclusivity will be communicated to and understood by all relevant stakeholders.
- We will monitor data to access the impact and effectiveness of the committee activities; eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations between different groups.
- Staff and students will be supported with training and development to understand and advance our ICMP values.
Meet the committee
Our EDI Committee members will continually review, promote and report on ICMP’s plans and progress in the creation of an equal, diverse and inclusive environment across all our services. The team will also instigate, advise, develop and monitor our EDI policies.
Our EDI Committee is made up of students, staff members and a dedicated Student Officer. You can meet them here.

Paul Kirkham (He/Him) • Chief Executive
EDI is important to me because it implies and creates fairness; it removes disadvantage; and we gain so much more ourselves by widening our horizons and including in our professional and personal lives individuals who have different backgrounds, different experiences, different knowledge and different talents. Before working at ICMP, I travelled the world for 15 years, living and working in many diverse countries such as Nicaragua, Bangladesh and Nigeria, and I came to understand that life is so much more than just our own narrow histories and opinions. The world is a very big and diverse place and we can grow so much as individuals if we embrace life in all its amazing manifestations. So I would like to bring to the EDI committee a sense of open-mindedness and curiosity about other cultures, other opinions and other ways of living and experiencing life.

Olivia Besly (She/Her) • Head of HR
EDI is important to me as I believe everyone should be able to reach their full potential. I have experience in making the necessary changes in practices to support underrepresented groups and I look forward to sharing these with committee members.

James Brister (He/Him) • Industry Liaison Manager
I've always been taught to pursue ways in increasing my awareness of the people around me and to strive for a more fair, kinder and inclusive society. As the Husband to a Black Woman and father of two multiracial girls, that pursuit and awareness has become sharpened and magnified so if my being on the EDI Committee can continue the same sort of growth at ICMP, I'm proud to be part of it.

Steve Dunhill (He/Him) • Head of Marketing
Early in my career, I worked in social care in one of the poorest boroughs in London. In stark contrast to my own upbringing, I encountered many young people who were stigmatised and marginalised for a myriad of reasons, none of their own choosing. This work opened my eyes to the essential need for organisations, and individuals, to become critically self-aware to ensure barriers are removed, prejudices are challenged, and equality of opportunity is actively pursued. Placing EDI at the heart of all we do at ICMP will see our students and wider community collectively flourish and I look forward to assisting and contributing to the work the committee undertakes.

Simon Phillips (He/Him) • Disability Adviser
To me, the EDI agenda represents open-mindedness, interest in the differences between us all and acceptance that we all have different backgrounds and equally valid ways of perceiving/interacting with the world around us. I'd like to reinforce this attitude throughout ICMP (through the work of this committee) and bring my professional experience of working in disability support (and the wider world of EDI in general) for over 10 years.

Hannah Trott (She/Her) • Access and Participation Manager
For me, EDI is about ensuring that everyone is empowered to fulfil their potential and access the opportunities they wish to pursue. I have experience supporting students from under-represented groups to understand and access opportunities in education and beyond. It's important that ICMP is an inclusive and open-minded community, where experiences can be shared and learned from.

Tony Harris (He/Him) • Dean of Academic Studies
I grew up in Birmingham where living and working in a diverse community is the norm. I've since spent my career in education settings where the core principles of social justice, tolerance, understanding and fairness are paramount. In my experience, the happiest, healthiest and most vibrant communities are ones where 'differences' are visible, valued and celebrated. ICMP is proud of the diversity of its community but needs to do more to promote this and to support those who are under-represented. The EDI Committee and its members are committed to ensuring ICMP plays its part in changing our society for the better.

Jess Guyler (They/Them) • Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity Student Officer
I feel passionate about equality, diversity and inclusivity as a proudly neurodiverse, queer, south-east Asian. I aim to help student voices be heard and to continue to make ICMP a comfortable environment for all. Feel free to say hi, email, or contact me on socials if you have any questions, want a chat or have any ideas on things you think could be improved with EDI at our uni!"

Gabe Khitarishvili-Awde (They/Them) • Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity Student Officer
I’m a first-year BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance student studying vocals. Being a part of a community is important and I’m devoted to making sure we are heard. My role as an EDI officer is so important and I will be devoted to being the best representative for your needs possible. Don’t feel afraid to approach me about issues you have surrounding EDI within our uni.

Sophie Daniels (She/her) • Head of Songwriting and Masters Songwriting Programme
Like all women working in music, and music education for 25 years, I have a great deal of experience of inequality. It is everywhere in our industry, as an example, just 15% of professional songwriters in the UK identify as female. I am a Director of The F List, where we are working to address gender inequality in UK Music. The issues that influence and perpetuate gender equality are myriad and complex, but I believe that achieving equal representation will go a long way towards tackling these issues.
I feel equally passionate about the many other types of inequality we face, including; race, disability, neurodivergence, religious background and of course socio-economic background, and I do my best to get educated on these matters. When studying the issues of equality, increasingly it seems that intersectionality is at the heart of both the challenges and the solutions, and therefore, I believe it's counterproductive to fight for one individual area of equality in isolation.
I see it as part of my responsibility as a human being, but in particular as someone working in education, to work with the ICMP community to do all I can towards the goal of equality for future generations of musicians.
Antisemitism
ICMP abhors antisemitism in all its forms and is committed to tackling antisemitism in Higher Education. In this regard, we have agreed to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism as follows:
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Further information on the IHRA and this working definition of antisemitism can be found here.
Gender Pay Gap 2022 Report
This is the first year the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) has published the Gender Pay Gap data so there is no previous comparison data. The gender pay gap is calculated as the difference between average hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men and women as a proportion of men’s average hourly earnings (excluding overtime). It is a measure across all jobs in the UK, not of the difference in pay between men and women for doing the same job.
Calendar of events
The Committee has chosen to recognise the following awareness days, weeks, and months during the academic year 2022/23.
SEPTEMBER
23.09.22 • Bi Visibility Day
OCTOBER
01.10.22 • Start of Black History Month & ADHD Awareness Month
03-09.10.22 • Dyslexia Awareness Week
10.10.22 • World Mental Health Day
NOVEMBER
01.11.22 • Start of UK Disability History Month & Men's Mental Health Month
DECEMBER
01.12.22 • World AIDS day
03.12.22 • International Day of Disability
25.12.22 • Christmas (seasonal celebration)
JANUARY
15.01.23 • World Religion Day
22.01.23 • Lunar New Year
27.01.23 • Holocaust Remembrance Day
FEBRUARY
01.02.23 • Start of LGBTQ+ History Month
MARCH
08.03.23 • International Women's Day
13.03.23 • Neurodiversity Awareness Week
21.03.23 • International Day of Elimination of Racial Discrimination
APRIL
01.04.23 • Stress Awareness Month
24-30.04.23 • Lesbian Visibility Week
MAY
21.05.23 • World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
JUNE
01.06.23 • Start of Pride Month
10.06.23 • Men's Health Week
22.06.23 • Windrush Day
JULY
18.07.23 • Start of South Asian Heritage Month