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 the rights and dignity of all staff and students are respected.

This commitment to our values is upheld by ICMP’s EDI ecosystem and overseen by our EDI Committee. We support and nurture our community, empowering each individual to strive for greatness, diversity of all kinds, promoting authenticity and a sense of belonging. 

Antisemitism | Gender Pay Gap Report | EDI Committee | EDI Charter

Our six EDI objectives

Our EDI Committee is committed to achieving the following six key EDI objectives:

  1. 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.
  2. Our staff population should be reflective of the student body, the local and wider community, and the needs of the industry.
  3. Our student body should be reflective of the local and wider community and the needs of the industry.
  4. ICMP’s approach to the values of equality, diversity and inclusivity will be communicated to and understood by all relevant stakeholders.
  5. 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.
  6. Staff and students will be supported with training and development to understand and advance our ICMP values.

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.

Read the report 

Themes and Events

Each year the Committee chooses to recognise and support various awareness days, weeks and months. This is done through a variety of events, initiatives, and the publication of related content through ICMP's key channels.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee

Barbara Amoakohene Pursey

Amoakohene Barbara

Barbara is a vocalist and educator with ten years’ experience teaching and singing professionally. As a session singer, choir leader, and studio manager, Barbara has a unique and personal approach, with a keen interest in personal and professional development. Barbara graduated with honours from the BMus degree in Popular Music Performance in 2007.

Since then, she has worked with a wide variety of performers, songwriters, and producers, from the double platinum-selling English pop star Paloma Faith to the Perrier Award-winning American comedian Rich Hall. She runs a busy private studio with an extensive client list but still finds time to contribute to a variety of community music projects and choirs, alongside her active teaching and singing career. Barbara performs regularly with the Sense of Sound choir as well as jazz quintet, The Stowaways. She is a firm believer in focusing one’s energy on being the best you can be, and supports anyone who is on the quest of lifelong personal development.

Olivia Besly

Olivia Besly

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.

Sophie Daniels

Sophie Daniels

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.

Paula Grant

paula_grant.jpgI am passionate about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) because I believe in the fundamental principle that every individual, regardless of their background, should have equal opportunities and be treated with respect and dignity. The reach of EDI is beyond institutional or corporate settings it impacts our communities on both a national and worldwide scale. I am committed to actively promoting EDI in all aspects of my life, whether it's in my professional career, community involvement, or personal relationships. I believe that through education, dialogue, and advocacy, we can make meaningful strides towards a more just and inclusive society, where everyone's voice is heard and valued.

Daniel Green

Daniel Green

I am pleased to serve as ICMP’s Chair of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. As a proud gay man working in academic leadership, I have seen first-hand the power of effective institutional change when spearheading the rights of underrepresented groups. It is with great humility to work alongside committee colleagues to ensure the rights of all staff and students, fostering an environment of belonging, and being unafraid to directly confront all forms of systemic prejudice.

Jessica Hurwood

Jessica Hurwood

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity are incredibly important to me from my own history with disabilities and socioeconomic challenges - alongside those of my family and peers. Throughout my time in this position,

I aim to keep ICMP a safe and inclusive space for people from all walks of life by taking both student and faculty feedback - and communicating to our board where we would like energy to be invested.  Please feel free to pull me aside for a discussion at any time; I will be more than happy to listen!

Gabriel Khitarishvii-Awde

Gabriel Khitarishvii-Awde

I’m a second-year BA (Hons) Creative Music Production student. 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.

Nick McDermott

Nick Dermott

I have been working to support students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education for almost a decade. I started being involved in this during my postgraduate studies, working with students from areas of deprivation around Cardiff and the Cynon Valley. 

My educational journey has been influenced by my learning difficulties; dyslexia and dyspraxia. Especially as I proceeded through higher education into postgraduate studies and found awareness and support lacking. I make use of my experience and skills in my current role as the Success and Transition Coordinator at ICMP to run a range of initiatives to support students that face barriers when entering higher education or succeeding at higher education.

Tamar McPherson

Tamar McPherson

I have been working to support students from underrepresented background since graduating university. I began my career teaching history in the secondary school I had attended as a student in South London in order to support young people like me.  My educational journey has been influenced by my identity as a black woman from a working-class Caribbean family. Despite studying Law at the University of Warwick, I experienced many internal and social challenges during my experience of higher education. 

My personal and educational experiences allow me to understand the barriers that many underrepresented young people face throughout their own educational journeys. I am able to draw from my own experiences in my current role as Access and Outreach Coordinator at ICMP to coordinate projects and initiatives that address educational disparities, raise attainment levels, and ultimately increase the representation of underprivileged young individuals in higher education.

Oliver Tatler

Oliver Tatler

I think equality, diversity and inclusion should be integral to all our interactions with each other, with the various communities we exist in and the world we share with each other. As a gay man, I’m proud to represent the LGBTQIA+ subgroup on the EDI Committee and play a part in helping to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of ICMP’s future development.

Luke Toms

luke-toms.jpgI am very happy to be part of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. My neurodiversity found me struggling within formal education as there was no provision for, or celebration of difference. I firmly believe that the broader the perspectives that coexist within our institution and the greater our provision for accessibility, the more vibrant and creative our community will become. 

Lisa Wadham

Lisa Wadham

As Gender Equality Champion, I advocate for women, non-binary and trans identities. I am committed to breaking down gender stereotypes within the music industry and to work with our talented body of students to create a diverse pool of role models for future generations. I work closely with the LGBTQIA+ Equality Champions, as whilst I believe that lesbian, gay and bi-sexual support needs and transgender support needs are nuanced, there’s certainly more shared, for example discrimination, mental health issues and homelessness. 

Therefore, forming a united front is more powerful when creating solutions.  As part of an alternative family, wife to a trans man and mother to our IVF-conceived son, we have had to fight for the same baseline rights as typical heteronormative families are automatically afforded. I’m proud to be part of the ICMP EDI Committee that is committed to eliminating discrimination and advancing equity of opportunity.