Songs of London Life: Using folk arts in inclusive settings

This resource contains three songs which reflect different aspects of London life, with themes that still have relevance to young people living in big cities today. Londoners have always had a passion for singing and music. From pubs and taverns to concert stages, and from street corners to markets, songs and singing was part of everyday city life.

Written by Emmie Ward, the material is particularly suitable for students with Special Educational Needs andDisabilities (SEN/D) – including those with learning disabilities and complex needs. It is based on repertoire used in our Folk Unlimited workshops exploring the musical traditions of London and includes audio, notation and notes, using a number of creative elements and communication strategies developed during the project to enable all participants to contribute fully.

This resource is part of EFDSS’ Inclusive Folk project (2020-2022) which aims at improving access to folk arts for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The project comprises fortnightly Folk Unlimited music making sessions at Cecil Sharp House, outreach sessions at colleges and settings for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEN/D), the creation of free learning resources for the EFDSS Resource Bank, and training opportunities for music educators.

This project, led by Emmie Ward, with Nick Goode and trainee Alice Barnard, was made possible with the generous support of John Lyon’s Charity.

https://www.efdss.org/learning/resources/a-z/55-resources/learning-resources/10248-songs-of-london-life