OVERVIEW: We will create new songs from the words written by those with lived experience of mental illness. Over a series of workshops, participants from MIND in Tower Hamlets and Newham and South London and Maudsley service users, will workshop directly staff and students from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Starting with writing workshops to create new poems and texts, we will then workshop these new poems and texts into new songs, using the skills of young composers, singers and pianists, culminating in several performances in which all participants can take part. The project is run by Song in the City in residence at Guildhall School following successful pilots.
For the 2025-26 project we need £8000
IMPACT: We have already conducted qualitative research on the benefits of such community and inter-disciplinary work for the young musicians and staff. We intend to collaborate with researchers from Guildhall to further cement our anecdotal evidence on the benefits for the poet service-users. These benefits include improved confidence and self-esteem from working as part of a high-level creative team. The poets are included at all stages of the process from writing, workshops and performance coaching. Many poets also have the chance to perform in our shows. Further positive impact surrounds the reduction in stigmas surrounding mental illness. Creating new songs that can be performed again and again, as well as be disseminated by video, sheet music and recordings means the project has a lasting legacy.
FUNDERS’ SUPPORT: Funders would be mentioned at every stage of the project. We intend to document the process via regular social media posts and a video diary. It is also hoped to create a documentary of the process and the project will culminate in several performances where your support can be visibly displayed on programmes. Your support can also be mentioned on all the sheet music and recordings of the new songs. We will make this explicit by direct quotations from project participants.
PROJECT SCHEDULE: The workshops and performances will be run over a series of 6 months. It is hoped to apply for other funding to support future performances and recordings to give the message of the project longevity. We plan to expand the project to other parts of the UK in the future.
More information: www.songinthecity.org/our-work-impact