Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion

Message from Prof. Deborah Kelleher, RIAM Director, on diversity, equity, access and inclusion at RIAM:

At RIAM we are at the beginning of a long journey of embedding diversity and inclusion into the core of what we do. Our mission is to be a safe and supportive environment for all who work and study with us. As we consider our place within the European and international conservatoire communities, we want to ensure that we are adapting, innovating and inspiring excellence while fostering positive relationships with our staff, students and stakeholders. 

As part of this commitment, we enlisted the help of inclusion expert Dr Enya Doyle who advised us on our journey. Dr Doyle has a wealth of knowledge and experience in carrying out inclusion research, audits and training within the arts and education sectors, particularly in music. She undertook an audit of our data and the culture across our six learner groups, encompassing both staff and students, helping to establish and roll out a clear DEAI roadmap based on these findings.

Key Achievements and Initiatives 

We are proud to highlight the key achievements and initiatives related to inclusivity and accessibility within the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), which have been carried out by members of our DEAI Committee. These actions reflect a commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI):

1. DEAI as a Standing Agenda Item:
   • DEAI is discussed at all senior management and committee meetings to ensure its integration across the organization. Ruth Meehan from HR is conducting training on these important topics.
2. Disability Support for Tertiary Students:
   • RIAM has appointed a dedicated Disability Officer from Trinity College to support tertiary students with disabilities, contributing to a more inclusive academic environment. Further details on disability support services can be found here.
3. Karen Power Project:
   • A project co-created by an inclusive ensemble, "Project Composition," was added to the National Library of Ireland (NLI) National Collections. This showcases an integration of diversity in musical composition - Composition co-created by inclusive ensemble to be added to the NLI National Collections | RIAM.
4. Neuro-Divergent Friendly Music Camp:
   • The Exploring Music Together Neuro-Divergent Friendly Music Camp, sponsored by Matheson LLP, offers free workshops for neuro-divergent individuals, promoting inclusivity in music. More details are available here.
5. Gender Pay Gap Report:
   • A Gender Pay Gap Report was published in December 2024 to address and measure pay equity within RIAM, which can be viewed here.
6. Professional Academy Course:
   • A new course which has seen to be a great success, Teaching Music to Students with Additional Needs, has been established under the 'Professional Academy', as part of Lifelong Learning. This course aims to prepare music teachers to support students with additional needs effectively.
7. Inclusive Music Programmes:
   • RIAM has developed specific modules and programs designed for musicians with intellectual and physical disabilities, potentially contributing to a Certificate in Arts, Science, and Inclusive Arts Practice from Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
8. Diverse Curriculum Opportunities:
   • RIAM students now have access to a broader, more diverse curriculum that includes Irish traditional music, pop, and ethnomusicology, ensuring they are exposed to a wide variety of musical genres.
9. Inclusive Creativity Training:
   • New modules have been developed to train RIAM students in inclusive creativity, equipping them to design artistic projects for musicians of all abilities. Additionally, RIAM students will participate in the Trinity Elective MMAS, which focuses on these inclusive practices.

These steps show a strong commitment to creating an inclusive, accessible, and diverse educational and creative environment at RIAM.

DEAI Committee Members include:

Michelle Craigie, Connect/DEAI Administrator
Deborah Kelleher, Director
Ruth Meehan, Human Resources
Mark Mahoney, Marketing Manager
Ciara Higgins, Head of Artistic Programming
Brendan Breslin, Head of Junior RIAM & Lifelong Learning
Philip Shields, Music Librarian & Project Manager (Information Systems)
Padraig Rynn, RIAM Tertiary

For any queries relating to Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion at the RIAM, please contact Michelle Craigie – michellecraigie@riam.ie

RIAM Building Accessibility

Accessibility Features:

• Wheelchair / Buggy Lift: Located at the front of the building.
• Lifts: Available from the Ground floor to the 4th floor in the 'new' campus. Please note that the 3rd floor, which houses the administration offices, and the rest of the Georgian section of the building does not feature lift access. 
• Disabled Bathrooms: Located in the new campus. These private bathrooms include baby-changing facilities and nappy disposal bins. 
• Gender Neutral Bathrooms: Located across from the reception in the Georgian building.
• Braille Translations: Found on signs at stairwells, classrooms and toilets in the new campus. 

Travel Information:

• Bus: The closest bus stop is on Westland Row, approximately 3 minutes' walk from the building.
• Train: Pearse Street train station is about 10 minutes' walk.
• Luas: The Dawson Luas stop is approximately 10 minutes' walk.

Initiatives

Keychange is an initiative developed by the PRS Foundation to encourage festivals and music organisations to achieve a 50:50 gender balance. Our Keychange pledges include:

• Achieve 50:50 gender balance across RIAM visiting artists
• Achieve 50:50 gender balance across composers performed by RIAM’s performing groups
• Maintain 50:50 gender balance on RIAM’s Governing Body
• Maintain 50:50 gender balance on all RIAM academic committees

Equality and Diversity Policy

The Royal Irish Academy of Music welcomes and promotes an inclusive working and learning environment based on the principles of equality, dignity and respect.

It is the Academy’s policy that individuals are afforded equality in how they are treated, in terms of their working/educational life, and in access to services available from or through the Academy. Any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation will not be tolerated.

This policy applies to:

• All registered students;
• All applications for student places;
• All employees, all applications for employment, and all persons who are engaged for work by the Academy (e.g. contractors);
• All visitors, customers and clients of the Academy

This policy relates to:

• the provision of all services to such students, including teaching and supervision, assessment, progression, and award and support services;
• all decisions in respect of the admission of students;
• all areas of employment practice including recruitment and selection, training and development, progression (including promotion), pay, employment conditions and retention;
• all services provided by the Academy in its diverse activities, both internal and external.

The concept of equality is central to the Academy’s ethos of achieving excellence across all of its activities and ensuring that its students and staff reach their full potential. A diverse community of staff and students where people are encouraged to feel valued will lead to a more creative environment which affords artistic, educational, and social benefits.

The Academy strives to promote equality and to ensure that staff and students from a variety of backgrounds are present within its community. The Academy promotes positive working relationships through which all members, students, staff and service users are valued and respected. The Academy is committed to ensure that that inequality and discrimination, if they occur, will be appropriately and effectively dealt with.

The most up-to-date Equality and Diversity Policy documents can be found here.