Introducing the I.D.E.A.L Network!

We caught up with Sam Stimpson, EDI Consultant, Music Educator, and founder of SLS360, to learn more about the newly created I.D.E.A.L Network for leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion to learn and grow through learning opportunities and a supportive network of like-minded individuals. Read on to learn more about the network, and hear from Sam about the importance of this style of professional development.

Transcripts of the audio clips are available at the end of this article.

What is the I.D.E.A.L Network? 

“The I.D.E.A.L Network is an acronym – as much as I would love to say it is the Ideal Network! – it stands for Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Accessible Leadership. The network is a space for people who are leading on or who are interested in implementing better practices around inclusion in their organisation. It’s a space for learning and growth, there’s opportunities to problem solve, share knowledge with other people in the space doing the same or similar work to you, deepen knowledge and existing skills, but most importantly to network and connect with other people, because it can be quite isolating.

There are a lot of people leading on this work in their organisation and they feel like they’re doing it by themselves, so following on from the success of the Emerge to Thrive course with Music Mark there was a real need for continued space where people can grow and learn, but more importantly to feel less alone.”

Why did you decide to set it up?

So you’ve already touched a bit on who it’s aimed for, so people who are already working in that space, but is there anyone else that it was aimed for and that it would benefit? 

“Initially, the space was designed for people who are leading in this particular area, but there might be people who are just interested in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, maybe for personal reasons. It might be people within organisations who wish their organisation was more aligned with their values, and it could be people who are just looking to encourage the organisation to implement more inclusive practices. It’s definitely for those who are leading on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, but also allies and advocates interested in I.D.E.A work. For the newly formed Music Education Hubs, you’re going to have an inclusion lead within your organisation and it’s perfect for them to connect not only within the music education space but also the wider art space too.”

How does the I.D.E.A.L Network differ from existing EDI training courses or working groups that focus on inclusion? 

“It differs in the sense that it’s an ongoing network. Courses have a finite timescale – they start and they’ll end. This is an evergreen network,  so at any point people can join or leave,  and from that point of view it’s a lot more accessible for people. In my personal opinion, it’s very cost-effective… it was really important to us that it was value for money. Compared to some of these courses which can be quite expensive and prohibitive cost-wise, this is a fairly small investment. Because we’re just starting out, it’s a chance to really explore and create the network with the members in mind, so the network is designed to grow with the input of the members. I call it a “Creator Cohort” so people will come in and they’ll shape how the network looks and how it feels, so it’s got a more flexible and holistic approach.

It’s also designed to align with organisational goals and values. We’re envisaging that the people who are part of the network have already got a commitment to greater I.D.E.A, so it’s a way to reinforce that… and we do that through challenging you to make sure that you’re on track but also supporting you. I think the other element is the networking element, the rise in online events and courses can make it difficult to network and connect with other people, but this network is designed to have a specific opportunity every month for people to meaningfully connect with others in the network.”

How will the I.D.E.A.L Network support and benefit the people who join in the long-term, but also what are some of the short-term benefits? 

“It’s important that we look at the two elements of growth – one is around the individual, and the other is around the organisation. It’s all fine and well as saying “Well as an organisation we want to embed these practices in what we do” but we have to start with the individual.

Inclusive leadership is about developing your self-awareness, understanding your strengths, understanding areas to develop, and bringing that into a space where there’s no shame or judgement. There’s a balance between individual growth and organisational growth.

In our first session, we looked back at 2024 through the lens of our individual development. Some of the questions that we came up with were “What word would you use to describe what 2024 was like for you?”, “What were some of the challenges that you faced?”, “What were some of your greatest accomplishments?”, all through the lens of an individual. Then we flipped it to the organisation: “What three words would you use to describe your organisation in 2024?”, “What were some of the challenges that you faced?”, “What were some of the accomplishments?”. Just looking through those two lenses means that you can see where the work you’ve done or could do on yourself will benefit the work within your organisation. I don’t think that happens in many networks and courses that I’ve come across so that’s unique.”

Why are initiatives and opportunities like the I.D.E.A.L network important in creating meaningful change in the music education sector? 

“We need to recognise that none of us know everything. It’s complacent to think that you can do effective, inclusive leadership by yourself because there’s always going to be blind spots…

What do people get access to by joining? 

“We wanted to acknowledge the fact that people have busy lives. I thought that realistically people aren’t going to be able to commit every single week. So, it’s twice a month. One monthly meeting is a chance to learn called the I.D.E.A.L Academy. In that space, you come along and learn; there are masterclasses and guest speakers (and I’ve got some amazing guest speakers lined up!), it might be a panel session, it might be a leadership lab… it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. Then once a month there’s a networking session which is very much focused on connectivity and collaboration, with the opportunity for breakouts and so forth. This is the first year of the network, so we’re going to see if we can sprinkle in a few face-to-face meetups if possible.

Additionally, members are part of the Mighty Networks, a mighty space where people can connect, but also you’ll find everything that you need – there are recordings of the Academy sessions, there’s resources, handouts, audiocasts, and you can connect with your fellow course members. We tried to make it not so time intensive, so it would just allow people the space to implement some of the actions and the learning that they’ve had.”

What can people expect from being part of I.D.E.A.L Network? 

“The first thing people can expect is to really deepen their existing knowledge and skills in the world of I.D.E.A…

What is the cost involved to join? 

“The cost is such good value! Per person, it’s £99 a month plus VAT. Music Mark – our first partners who came on board – have a subsidised rate for their members as well as some special benefits.

Music Mark were integral in Emerge to Thrive, which got such a great reception. I love the commitment to the Talk into Action movement from Music Mark Members, which really spearheaded the idea of putting inclusion at the heart of their work.

Many organisations now have the requirement to bring inclusive practice into the work that they do and report back to Arts Council England, so it was a no-brainer for me that Music Mark would be one of our partners. I know it completely aligns with the work that you’re doing as an organisation and for your membership. We’ve got more partners and cool sponsors in the pipeline as well! So that’s the current cost for 2025, but there are limited places so if people are interested they should jump on quickly, otherwise they might miss out!”

Click here to join the I.D.E.A.L Network today! SLS360 is offering up to 20 Music Mark members a subsidised rate of £75 +VAT per month, which Music Mark will further subsidise for the first 10 bookings before 31st March 2025, bringing the cost down to £50 +VAT per month. Delegates will be invoiced as a one-off payment for their first year subscription (£500 +VAT for the first 10 registrations, £750 +VAT thereafter).

Transcripts of audio responses:

Why did you decide to set it up?

So after the Emerge to Thrive course I got feedback from the attendees and one person said “I feel like I’ve lost an arm!”, it became such an important part of their life… and I think the main thing was that there isn’t a space out there at the moment specifically within the arts and culture sector for people who are leading on Inclusion and Diversity efforts. There’s a lot of information out there and obviously being a leader in the space, for me, I try and share that information as much as possible, but whether people get it or not I don’t know. LinkedIn algorithms might be messing around and not everybody signs up to newsletters, so how do we make sure that people get this information and knowledge when they’re doing the work all the time? They really haven’t got the time to trawl through research and articles, so one of the good things about the space is that you don’t have to do that work. Being part of the network means that you get all of this information on tap. It also means that when you’re struggling with something within your organisation you’ve got an opportunity to speak to not only myself and my associates, but a whole room of people to safely say “We’re stuck on this, can anyone help?”, so people can share “We tried that and this worked, this didn’t work.” We need this space because we need inclusive leaders in the world and I think if more and more organisations really focus on inclusive leadership, the ripple effect of that and the impact it will have on our stakeholders and the children and young people that we work with is just going to be phenomenal.

Why are initiatives and opportunities like the I.D.E.A.L Network important in creating meaningful change in the music education sector?

Right now, we need to recognise that some of the impacts and goals that we have, especially in the arts and culture sector, regarding the different stakeholders that we want to engage with, the impact we want to have, the reach that we want to have, we have to learn from other people. We have to learn from their mistakes, we have to learn from their successes, we have to be prepared to fail, and fail again, and fail again, and keep going. That takes resilience and that takes support. We’re in a world where unfortunately, you turn on the telly and you hear about some of the things happening – especially in relation to work around diversity, equity, and inclusion – it’s become a really dirty word. Yet underneath it all is just a human sense of wanting to belong, wanting to be accepted, wanting to be respected, wanting to be heard, wanting to be seen. These are all values that are important on a human level, not just in our sector, and so we have to make sure that more and more people are on board with that way of leading. Otherwise, I think we’re going to have a space where it’s going to go back to a world where those who have are the ones that benefit and those who don’t are the ones who lose out. We’ve tried so hard to get beyond that and we’re working so hard to make sure that arts and culture are accessible to all and nobody is left out and nobody stories are left unheard. The more we embed that way of thinking so it becomes the norm, so that it isn’t something special to be an inclusive leader, but it’s expected, it’s the norm – when job roles are being offered and that is actually something which is within the job description, and people get it and they’re able to say it “Yeah, I am an inclusive leader, that’s how I lead with integrity, with inclusivity, with authenticity”, and I just feel that otherwise we’re going to go in a very downward spiral very quickly. That worries me a little bit.

What can people expect from being part of the I.D.E.A.L Network?

This doesn’t assume in anyway shape or form that people don’t already have a lot of skills and knowledge, but it’s about deepening that knowledge, to meaningfully connect with other people, deep dive into problem areas, find solutions, but more importantly, then go ahead and implement them. There’s the opportunity to learn through observation, so what that means is you’re in a space, somebody asked a question that wasn’t even on your radar, and in the process with that person getting the answer to that question you realise, “Oh my gosh, I needed to hear that!”. Other people are actually getting the advice and it’s almost like that person is talking to you, and you didn’t actually realise it was something that you needed.

You get frameworks, resources, tools and strategies that you can take back. You also get the chance to hear from some really inspiring speakers who are going to share their journeys, their tips and their expertise. This is broadening the view of individuals who come from different sectors of life. Through the Mighty Networks you get consultation on tap because it’s there 24/7, 365. You might wake up at 2am thinking “Oh my gosh, I’ve got that meeting tomorrow, what am I gonna do about that?”, type it in, and guaranteed probably before 9am tomorrow morning somebody has seen it and responded to it. I think the other thing which people can expect, and I put this as a warning, is that you can expect some rapid growth and increased confidence. It never surprises me when people say, “Oh my goodness, I did this, the first time I did that and this happened”, and suddenly that’s their new norm. Without a doubt it can result in rapid growth, increased confidence, and for some people that might involve a change of direction. You never know, if you want to go for that leadership role or if you’re thinking long term “In the next five years I’d like to be in that position”, this is definitely the kind of network that would support that growth.