Community Projects

Early Years & Families

Working with care experienced babies, young children, foster and adoptive families, and families recovering from domestic abuse. Music sessions are flexible and responsive to the group, nurturing bonding and attachment and strengthening relationships between parents/caregivers and children, as well as fostering working relationships with the organisations involved in their support.

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Working within the principles and values of the pedagogical practice (see A Learning Framework for Artist Pedagogues (LFAP) link below) of supportive and reflective practice, sessions allow the adults to develop their skills in using music with their children to deepen connections and support their child's development.

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The children are supported to engage at their own pace, express themselves and influence the session content, creating a safe space for them to be creative.

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I helped to shape and develop the Loud & Clear Programme for foster and adoptive families at Sage Gateshead, have run sessions for Children North East and We Make Culture with families recovering from domestic abuse and am currently running sessions for Foster Carers in Darlington with Blue Cabin and Theatre Hullabaloo.

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I deliver training in using music when working with babies, young children and the parents/care-givers. Please contact me if you would like to know more.

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IN THE HOME:

Private classes in your home, tailored to your young person's needs. All of their favourite songs, sounds and lots of sensory props to play with.

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IN YOUR SCHOOL:

Either 1-1 or class size groups, playing with percussion and props and with lots of singing and sensory play. Classes respond to the children's needs and whatever sparks their interest.

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IN THE COMMUNITY:

I deliver percussion and sensory play with young people and adults, lots of singing our favourite songs and having fun.

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Infographic from www.therhythmtree.com

Babies and Young Children with Care Experience

Working with Blue Cabin:

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• This is The Place: Early Years music partnership with Darlington Local Authority and Theatre Hullabaloo, delivering music sessions for foster carers and the children in their care.

• South Tyneside DFE Projects: Two projects, commissioned by South Tyneside Council and funded by the DfE, sought to understand the impact of Covid-19 on Children in Care Councils, and supervised contact (family time).

• Cool Things Darlington: A partnership with Darlington Virtual School to facilitate creative opportunities and mentoring for care-experienced children and young people.

• Sing & Play: Early Years music project delivering online sessions during COVID-19 lockdown.

Children and Young People (CYP and Families)

We Make Culture is a social enterprise based in Sunderland, delivering high quality music making programmes across the city.

I have worked with them on a project with Wearside Women in Need. I also joined my colleagues Paige Temperley and Ashleigh Lowes on the Front Street Songs project and we have performed for families for the Waves Festival 2022.

Adults - Health & Wellbeing

I lead the singing for the Friendship Choir that runs fortnightly on a Tuesday evening at Fawdon Community Centre. Set up by David Faulkner, a former Newcastle City Councillor, the choir aims to support locals through the love of singing.

We sing a whole range of songs from across the years and genres. There's something for everyone!

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We have a tea break about halfway through where tea and biscuits are provided and we accept monetary contributions, however much you can afford, to help to subside our choir.

Performance Workshops

Northern Butterflies is a creative charity based in East Northumberland for adults with learning disabilities and/or mental health issues.

Our performance workshops:

• Builds confidence and self-esteem 

• Language and communication skills

• Emotional intelligence and physical development

• Teamwork and a wider knowledge of their world

• Creativity and problem solving

• Nurtures friendships

• New experiences

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Arts in the Community

Helix Arts is an arts charity that wants to create equality of opportunity for communities to take part in the arts.

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I have been working with Helix Arts to deliver music experiences for young people across Northumberland, from percussion and ukuleles to songwriting and music play.