Cork’s Inclusive Music Ensemble Launch their three track EP “IME”

The Inclusive Music Ensemble (IME) is an inclusive music group for artistic & creative expression, participation, and education
The IME is a partnership between MTU Cork School of Music and Cork Education and Training Board
Their first studio EP “IME” will be released on Thursday 26th of October at a launch event at Crawford Art Gallery
Admission: Free

The Inclusive Music Ensemble (IME) at MTU Cork School of Music strives to be an inclusive initiative for artistic & creative expression, participation, and education. The group welcomes a diverse mix of participants of various levels of ability in the Ensemble and it facilitates social and cultural interaction between everyone involved through the medium of music and performance. Many of the learners have disabilities, intellectual and physical, ranging from moderate to profound, that would usually exclude them from partaking in higher education institution activities.

The Inclusive Music Ensemble consists of three programmes of music study being co-delivered in a single co-learning setting at MTU Cork School of Music. It is a partnership between Munster Technological University and Cork Education and Training Board to enable the sustainable offering of academic credit in a higher education institution (HEI) to those who would not usually have access to a university.

IME evolved through understanding that HEIs are a specific culture and, as stated by the UN Convention on The Rights of Persons With Disabilities; everyone has the right to equal access to both education and culture. The ensemble, which began in 2021 has grown to include 16 participants. The group have performed at MTU Cork School of Music as well as in Cork City Hall, they also performed at the first Inclusive National Higher Education Forum (INHEF) symposium in November 2022. The project has been shortlisted for the #ZeroCall2024 Project Awards for their work on Inclusive Education and Information and communication technology.

Speaking on the release, Hugh McCarthy, Senior Lecturer at MTU Cork School of Music says:

“This launch marks a major milestone for the IME as we build our repertoire, exploring the future possibilities of the group and how we approach creativity and performing together. It also marks the release of our first co-created tracks! I believe that through our shared understandings the members of the IME are helping MTU and Cork ETB on their paths to greater accessibility for everyone to education, society, and culture.”

IME will be launched on Thursday 26th of October at 5:30pm in Crawford Art Gallery.

The EP will also be released digitally on MTU Cork School of Music’s own label CSM Sounds.