We are delighted to launch an evaluation report of our Wishing Well Music in Healthcare programme at The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton. This report, created by East Midlands based organisation Well Within Reach, offers insights and resources for people working in the field of Culture and Health who are interested in deepening their understanding of how participatory music making can build relationships that benefit everyone on the hospital ward.
We wanted to work with Well Within Reach to better understand how music can support a child’s developing brain and nervous system during the potentially traumatic experience of being in hospital. The report presents key findings following a year of collaboration, observations and training.
What is in the report?
The report is made up of 2 main sections.
First, a series of case studies of our work at The Alex, seen through a “3 stage relationship” model.This provides a way of understanding the process of beginning, strengthening and ending musical interactions in hospitals where Musicians work in sensitive and often unpredictable situations.
The second section offers a tool kit of evidence, research and methodologies relevant to our work. We hope these resources will be useful to music practitioners, health professionals and funders who want to deepen their understanding of how music making and person centred interactions can create nurturing, expressive, therapeutic environments for children in hospital.
Thank you!
We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the children and young people, families and staff at The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton for making music with us and supporting our work. Our partnership demonstrates the amazing things that can happen when health and cultural organisations work together.
Thank you to Well Within Reach for taking us on such a fascinating journey of learning, reflection and inspiration.
Thank you to The National Foundation for Youth Music and to BBC Children in Need for funding the Wishing Well programme and this evaluation.
Projects like Wishing Well at the Alex are only made possible by our generous supporters.