Sara Lee

Career Profile Type

Project manager

Name

Sara Lee

Job Title

Projects Coordinator, Irene Taylor Trust ‘Music in Prisons’

Employment Status

Employed

Summary

Sara Lee is the Projects Coordinator for the Irene Taylor Trust 'Music in Prisons'. Part of her post graduate training focused on music making in the community, which then led to a position as Music Coordinator at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. Sara has been involved in prison work for over twenty years and helped to set up 'Music in Prisons'.

Outline you career history – how you got to this point?

After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, I was invited to take part on a new course that was set up at the Guildhall: Music and Communication Skills. The course took music and musicians into areas of the community that didn’t ordinarily have access to any form of live music. Through this course, a performance at HMP Wormwood Scrubs led to me being offered the job of Music Co-ordinator there from 1984, and I stayed there up to 1995. Following that, I was asked to help set up and run the Irene Taylor Trust ‘Music in Prisons’ (1995 to present day).

Outline your qualifications and/or training

A degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and then a lot of keeping one step ahead, and learning on the job.

Describe your job role

Managing the day to day running of the Trust with regards to projects and all the add-ons associated with it.

What are the pros & cons of your job role

The excitement of the project work is sometimes hard to recreate in the office. I do the job because I adore making music with enthusiastic amateurs who have little or no experience of what they can do and to watch and take part in their journey. I love seeing the results, and I also love working with other brilliant musicians and artists who have the same passion as I do. I understand that the work has to be generated which is why the office is crammed with mementos from projects, to serve as a reminder as to why I am sitting at a computer!

What is a typical day for you?

I spend my time developing project plans and liaising with prison staff who want the work to take place in their establishments. I also spend time visiting each prison and putting project plans in place. Writing post-project reports, and organising the mastering/printing of the CDs that are given to every participant at the end of the project, is also part of my work. I also assist (in a small way) with the fundraising for the work, and also the general day-to-day finance. Talking to numerous interested parties from all walks of life (students/media/colleges etc) about the work, is part of the job as well. Out of office life I manage and facilitate each project, as well as taking part in the project as a music workshop leader, working alongside the other musicians in the team.

Do you specialise in any areas?

We specialise in the criminal justice system, but with all categories of prisoners, and all categories of prisons; from adult men and women, through to young offenders, juveniles, and those at risk of offending.

What age groups do you work with?

13-15 years,16 - 18 years

What group sizes do you work with?

5 to 10,10 to 20,20 to 50

What level of experience do you have in your job role?

Established (over 5 years)

How would you like to see the sector develop?

I would love to see arts activities become part of the core curriculum in every prison, as the artistic and social benefits to the participants are enormous. In many establishments these kinds of activities are only just reappearing on the timetable, and to integrate them fully can’t happen soon enough.

Most useful learning experience?

Early on, being thrust into a classroom with 12 music-loving prisoners at HMP Wormwood Scrubs when I knew so little about what it meant to be a musician in a community setting. Now, working with and learning from the Trust’s brilliant musicians and workshop leaders.

How long have you been working in this field?

I’ve been working for over 20 years: 11 in the Scrubs and nearly 10 years now for the Trust, in prisons across the country.

Why do you do it? - What’s your motivation?

I love the idea of creating music with people who think they have few, if any, skills and then seeing them discover they can do it, and in fact do it brilliantly. I love the social aspect of it all, meeting loads of different people from all walks of life, all with amazing stories to tell.

What are the challenges of the job?

Keeping hundreds of balls in the air at once. For example, ensuring that every party has all the relevant information they need at all times (very important in the prison setting), helping each participant get as much as they can out of the experience, keeping on top of paperwork, and trying to raise the necessary funds for the work to continue.

What top tips + pitfalls would you highlight in your job role?

Expect the unexpected. Share your skills and love for your job with those you are working with, and you won’t be disappointed in their response. It can be stressful, in that institutions are not always easy places to work in, and it can be emotionally draining, but the good bits far outweigh the not so good, so hang on to those when the going gets tough.

What skills and qualities would someone need if they wanted to do your job?

A love of music, a high degree of musicianship, the ability to get on with anyone at all, and a certain amount of unbridled madness!

Which music leaders have inspired you?

The Trust’s core project team constantly inspire and support me; namely Nick Hayes, Graham Rix, and Rex Horan.

What's next for you? - How do you see your career moving in the years to come?

The Trust will continue to let everyone know that this kind of work is valuable, necessary, and indeed vital for the well being of those who reside in prison, and for the communities they will be released into. I have no idea where I might be in one, five or ten years time, but I sincerely hope it has something to do with music and prisons, as it is the most wonderfully satisfying and fulfilling way of spending the working day.

Which element(s) of your training has been most useful to your job role?

Working at the Scrubs for 11 years gave me the insight I needed into how prisons operate, which now allows me to run ITT (Irene Taylor Trust) projects in a way that prisons will accept, and that will be of maximum benefit for those we work with.