access and inclusion

What your music group chooses to wear on stage is part of how you present yourself to the world - but care must be taken not to have it become a barrier that might lead to exclusion.

A group's performance wear - their 'uniform' - is the first thing an audience will see, which is why many groups choose to specify what their members wear while performing. This can be a good thing; uniform can bring a sense of belonging to people and help them feel part of a team. If you’re trying to present a unified sound, it can also be effective if you look uniform too.

There are many terms related to LGBTQ+ issues and it might seem overwhelming at first. But fret not - this glossary should help you better understand your LGBTQ+ members as you work on getting your music group to be more diverse and welcoming.

Working with transgender singers in your music group might be a new experience, but breaking it down into smaller steps would better enable you to support your transgender members on their music making journey.

In practical terms, much of the guidance from our LGBTQ+ inclusion guide is applicable when working with transgender singers. This guide, written by Dr Kathleen Cronie and Dr Michael Bonshor, will provide some extra information about the following questions:

Sometimes LGBTQ+ people encounter barriers to getting involved in music making, but by making some simple adjustments to your practice you can work towards creating a more inclusive environment where they can thrive in your group.

In this recording of our webinar (original event 25 September 2023), Making Music launched INCLUDE, our 18-month inclusion programme where we will work with four member groups to explore what leisure-time music groups can do to include more people, from a more diverse demographic, in their regular activities.