Chalk Hill Mentorship by Annabel Allum

06 January 2023

Working alongside Jack at Chalk Hill for Wishing Well’s mentorship scheme has been a truly incredible experience. The opportunity to connect with the young people through music has been deeply rewarding and insightful both on a personal and professional level.

With the focus of the sessions being on music making, the scheme empowered me to exercise and progress my production and songwriting skills, with the aim of ensuring the space felt positive and judgement free. Watching the young people at Chalk Hill develop and become more confident as the weeks went on was both thrilling and contagious! We wrote some serious hits! It was a huge highlight to be involved in the encouragement of their songcraft and creativity, as well as enabling the space for them to express themselves. Many were outstandingly gifted and own real musical as well as artistic potential, and watching that self-discovery strengthen and grow over the sessions was astonishing.

Writing music has been a mode of therapy for me for years, and it feels so special to be a part of the realisation for others too. The support, encouragement and guidance Wishing Well provided before, during, and after the scheme has made for an invaluable few months.

On a personal level, the scheme has solidified so much for me and my future. My ambition and passion to explore and engage in community music projects have become even more ignited, and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to build a solid foundation of experience thanks to the mentorship.

If you are considering the Wishing Well mentorship, I could not recommend it more. You will be immersed in an experience which will most likely change your life, and even better, others’ lives.

I am sad for the scheme to be over, but I am excited at the prospect of future community music projects. To everyone at Wishing Well & Chalk Hill, thank you. You have fuelled a fire in me that I’m sure will now forever burn!

As part of our work in children’s healthcare settings in Sussex, we offer training and apprenticeships to emerging music facilitators who want to bring their skills into hospitals to support the wellbeing of the hospital community. If you’re a Musician under 25 years of age and want to get involved in our programme, we’d love to hear from you! Email [email protected].