Drake Music Emergents programme, 2024-2025
At Drake Music we are always looking at ways to make our programmes more inclusive. We look at best practice from other organisations, as well as learning from our own experiences, to constantly improve how we run our programmes. In 2024 we focused on our Emergents artist development programme to see how we could make our application process more accessible.
We’re still on that journey and acknowledge that there will always be areas where we can do better. However, we also wanted to share our achievements and progress so far in the hope that it will inspire others to be bold in exploring how to do things differently.
Where we started
In 2020 the application information for our Emergents programme provided through a text-based page on our website. Applicants were invited to get in touch if they had access requirements with the following message:
“If you require Drake Music to make any reasonable adjustments to the proposal process, please do get in touch to discuss.”
Whilst this is certainly better than no reference to access, we realised that this approach puts the responsibility on applicants to self-advocate for access. This causes a number of potential issues for applicants with access requirements:
- Added “Disability admin”: many processes in society require Disabled people to complete extra administration tasks compared to a non-Disabled person in order to access services. In this case they would need to send an email to request access support, when applicants without access requirements for the application process do not. This extra admin costs time and energy and may put applicants with access requirements off from applying.
- Fear of refusal/ rejection: Putting the onus on applicants to request access support doesn’t take into account the power imbalance involved in an application process. Many Disabled people have advocated for their own access requirements, only to be refused the support they require or rejected from opportunities due to their access requirements. We felt the onus should be on those with more power in the situation (in this case Drake Music) to offer access proactively.
- Lack of access to information: if information is not provided in accessible formats such as Easy Read or BSL “up front” then applicants who require these formats will not be able to access information about the programme. This means they would not know if the programme is suitable or appealing without access to the information. They are therefore unlikely to take the extra step of requesting an accessible format about a programme they know little about.
- Logistical issues: Asking applicants to request alternative formats after the opportunity has been advertised presents logistical problems. The turnaround for Easy Read and BSL translations can be up to 2 weeks, which may mean that they are not available until after the application deadline. This would potentially disrupt our own workflow for shortlisting and selection. It also puts those using accessible formats at a disadvantage, as they may not have as much time to apply between receiving the information and the application deadline.
Accessible formats
For our 2023 call out we improved our processes by providing accessible formats proactively. Information was provided in the following formats:
- Text only word document
- Audio
- BSL
- Easy Read
- Large Text
We felt this was a significant improvement as it would allow applicants requiring these formats to access the information at the first point of contact. It also meant that we could be more confident with our application timeline, knowing that we would not be getting last minute requests for alternative formats.
However, those who needed support such as 1:1 assistance or funding for a support worker would still need to contact us separately to arrange support. We also had no way of knowing if we were reaching people who would benefit from these different formats. With this in mind we trialled a new two-step application process in 2024.
A two-step process
Having seen other organisations use a similar process, in 2024 we trialled a two-step application process. In this format the applicants first fill in an “Expression of Interest” form and then are later invited to fill in the application form. We expected that this format would have the following benefits:
- Eligibility check: The Expression of interest form includes an eligibility check, so ineligible applicants don’t spend time filling in the application only to discover that they are not eligible.
- Proactively asking about access: The Expression of Interest includes optional questions about access requirements for the application process, so applicants do not have to go out of their way to request access provision.
- 1:1 support planning: One of the access questions asks if applicants would like support from us to fill in the application form. This means that we are able to better plan our capacity for 1:1 application support.
- Monitoring and evaluation of access provision: The optional access questions allow us to collect data about what sort of access provision is being requested, which we can use for monitoring, evaluation and future planning.
- Equal time to apply: Everyone who fills in the expression of interest is sent a link to the application at the same time, meaning applicants are not disadvantaged by finding out about the opportunity late in the process.
- Information session: Everyone who expresses an interest is invited to an online information session on the day the application form is released. This allows them to find out more about the programme, to help them to decide whether they would like to apply. It also allows them to ask questions about how to fill in the application form. A recording and transcript is shared after the session for those who cannot attend live.
- Reminders: All applicants are sent reminders during the application window, which may help neurodivergent applicants to engage with the application process.
The benefits of monitoring
We have now been using this two-step system for two years and have seen many of these benefits come to pass. For example, our monitoring showed that in 2024, 41% of applicants requested one or more alternative formats (they were able to select multiple formats). This breaks down as:
- 13% Large text
- 13% Screen reader friendly
- 16% Audio
- 1% BSL
- 22% Easy read
One finding that surprised us was how many applicants use Easy Read. We suspect that this is due to multiple groups finding this format helpful, not just those with a learning disability. As well as being a popular option for accessing information, we also found that 10% of applicants in 2024 submitted their application using the Easy Read format of the application form. This has led us to invest in staff training so that we can make the process of producing Easy Read information more efficient.
We have also seen from this monitoring information that we have a low uptake of information in BSL format. We therefore invested in consultancy to understand how we can better reach potential applicants who are BSL users. This revealed that we might not be reaching this audience because our BSL formats are not visible enough to applicants when they find out about the opportunity. One solution to this would be to include content in BSL on our social media when we advertise the opportunity. In order to truly show that we are a BSL-friendly organisation we need to show BSL users that we are thinking of them at every stage of the process.
Looking to the future
We know that there will always be ways to make our processes more accessible, so we are continuing to explore new possibilities. One major question is “are application forms accessible?”. We acknowledge that application forms aren’t always the best way of learning about applicants, and that some people find this format to be a barrier to applying. We are working to explore alternative ways of engaging with and selecting applicants in a more holistic way.
Another element of the application process we would like to focus on is what we can offer those who are not selected for a programme. The first element of this is application feedback. We are working on developing processes which will allow us to expand our capacity to offer feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
The second element of this is to move towards an approach which provides “something for everyone”. Currently the model of our programme only allows us to support 5 successful applicants each year. In 2024 this represented just 8% of those who applied. The selection process was incredibly competitive and many of those who were not selected were suitable candidates for the programme. Our goal is that everyone who applies is able to access meaningful support and guidance that can help them in their musical journey. We trialled this approach in 2024 by opening up some of the sessions in our training programme to unsuccessful applicants. Going forward we hope to find more ways to offer ongoing support and resources to everyone who applies.
By Drake Music Access Coordinator, Lisa Heywood.
