EC Sessions wins Green Gown Award
Edinburgh College has won a prestigious sustainability award in recognition of a community music programme which provides a safe and welcoming space for young people across the city to have music making opportunities they otherwise would not have access to.
The College has won the Benefitting Society award at this year’s annual Green Gown Awards – a Sustainability-focused awards programme organised by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC).
The College was named the winner following the incredible success of its EC Sessions programme. With inclusiveness at its heart and the belief that everyone deserves music, EC Sessions gives the young people who attend the autonomy to choose their instruments and the music they play no matter their level of ability or experience.
This is at the core of the project’s vision: a less intimidating ‘side-door’ that helps young people to see a place that is for them. For some, it's meant a gentle route into studying at the college, for others, EC Sessions has simply been a place to come to learn, play, compose and record music.
EC Sessions, which is designed and delivered by lecturer Jess Abrams and student volunteers, has welcomed over 70 young people since its inception and offers so much more than just an opportunity to play music. It has also offered a community, a place where they feel welcome and connected, where they can be themselves, and feel supported to explore their own musical interests and talents without the pressures that life (and exams) can offer.
By its nature, the EC Sessions project aligns to two of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals:
- Good Health and Wellbeing: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
- Quality Education: ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
I am so delighted to receive this prize and recognition for EC Sessions. We started EC Sessions to create a relaxed and welcoming place for young people to come and learn to play music but also to develop friendships and a sense of community and belonging. It’s fantastic to see the impact the project has on everyone who attends but the true success of EC Sessions belongs to the young people who attend – THEY are the ones who turn up every week, cheer each other on, help each other, and take musical risks.Jess Abrams, Music lecturer
Congratulations to Jess and everyone involved with the running of EC Sessions on this fantastic award success. It is well-deserved recognition of the project which has become a vital community and support service for many young people, not only giving them the opportunity to learn a musical instrument but also somewhere they can relax and be themselves. The quality of talent is outstanding and it’s terrific to know that so many have now progressed to study at the College.Jon Buglass, Vice Principal