Jenni Ventura Arts Consultancy

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Jenni Ventura

What I Offer

• Consultancy in arts access & inclusion
• Training in inclusive music practice
• Bid-writing for artists and arts organisations

Consultancy

I specialise in arts access and inclusion, and inclusive music practice. My areas of interest are communities and marginalised groups, disabled and neurodivergent people, families, and early years children. I can support with developing projects and programmes to ensure they meet the needs of a range of your target audiences.

I can help to:

- Create safe spaces for marginalised groups
- Identify barriers to engagement
- Adapt programmes to break down specific barriers
- Optimise communications to promote inclusivity
- Develop authentic community engagement programmes
- Ensure your practitioners/workforce are equipped to work inclusively
- Access tools, resources and training to improve inclusive delivery
- Train staff & practitioners in inclusive music practice
- Attract and support the needs of family and early years audiences

I can support programme design, project management, monitoring and evaluation. I can also provide training and mentoring to upskill employed and freelance staff in delivering or facilitating inclusive experiences.

Training

I offer CPD and training in inclusive practice for music practitioners. Specific areas include (but are not limited to):
• Creative music-making techniques
• Teaching for neurodiversity
• Creative music-making with families and early years children
• Accessible music-making
• Achieving social and personal development outcomes through music-making
• Creating safe spaces for music-making
• Music teaching for “non-musicians”

Bid-writing (fundraising)

I can support bid-writing for artistic projects, programmes and events. This includes Arts Council project grants and DYCP, and Youth Music trailblazer and catalyser funds.
I can also write for any other trusts and foundations that the project is eligible for. I can support this process in a number of ways:

- Writing full applications
- Editing and proofreading
- Consultancy in developing project ideas to improve funding potential/grant-readiness
- Support with creating budgets
- Support with developing evaluation processes
- Support with report-writing

Prices

I offer a 30-minute free consultation for all of my services, to understand your needs and advise on the best next steps.

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp The next round of Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grants opens on 11th July. Great opportunity to apply for up to £12k for your personal artistic development!

Developing your Creative Practice DYCP supports individuals who are cultural and creative practitioners and want to take time to focus on their creative development.

Who am I?

I am a creative arts producer, with 12 years of experience in the non-profit arts sector. I was a founding director of Soundcastle, a charity using music as a tool for wellbeing, between 2011 and 2023. During this time I designed and managed a range of community music programmes, using creative-music making to increase confidence, reduce isolation and enhance wellbeing for marginalised communities, including families in social housing, families with disabled children and adults living with mental ill health. I was involved in developing a Theory of Practice, a framework for participatory music-making that places community members at the heart of the creative process, which was published in 2016.

Throughout my career I have continued to work as a music facilitator, constantly developing my skills and understanding in connecting with and engaging people who face a range of barriers. I love creating music with people and being part of the magical moments where music can open doors for communication and empowerment. This understanding is crucial to my work as a producer and consultant, and makes me a better human! As a facilitator I work with a huge variety of people on both formal and informal settings. My specific career journey has led me to work more with some groups than others, which include disabled adults and children, families, early years children and people living with dementia. I have worked with a range of organisations including Drake Music, Create, Live Music Now!, Take Art, Barbican Creative Learning and the Historic Royal Palaces.

I am committed to supporting others to pursue the practices of inclusion and project design.
I have trained and mentored music practitioners and staff in special needs schools, and I designed and delivered a Trinity Level 4 Accredited Certificate for Music Educators in Inclusive Practice for Bristol Beacon. I was also a Creative Producer at Bristol Beacon, managing programmes for disabled children and adults. I am a guest lecturer for the Creative Careers Centre at the Royal College of Music, where I support students in developing entrepreneurship and professional project ideas. I have given presentations at the Royal College of Music and the Associate Board for the Royal Schools of Music on Teaching for Neurodiversity, and I have written about accessible singing for the SingUp Singing Schools Handbook.