Wingbeats 2024
As part of our Youth Music-funded programmes, Songbirds Music UK hosts Wingbeats events to mark key milestones in our work, bringing together young people, healthcare professionals, musicians, students, researchers, and partner organisations to share learning, celebrate achievements, and help shape future developments.
These events provide a space for discussion, reflection, consultation, and creative exchange, highlighting the role music can play in improving experiences of healthcare and supporting the wellbeing of children, young people, families, and staff.
Our most recent Wingbeats conference took place in March 2024 as part of our Taking Wing project. The next Wingbeats event is planned for 2027/28, when we will share learning and outcomes from our current Youth Music-funded programme.
Thursday 21st March 2024
Held at The Royal Northern College of Music.
A day of panel presentations, discussions and workshops with invited guests, themed around Songbirds Music UK’s award-winning work at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Supported by RMCH Paediatric Critical Care and Youth Music.
Songbirds set up camp at The Royal Northern College of Music for the day last Thursday 21st March to hold our first Wingbeats event since the covid pandemic. It was a truly inspiring day, and wonderful to be joined by so many partner organisations, colleagues, young people and placement students who have worked with us during our Youth Music Project 2021-24, Taking Wing. Our morning was devoted to two panel discussions: the first a case study on our long-standing flagship project in Paediatric Critical care, Sound Environments, and the second, a panel on workforce development, with nursing students from the University of Chester, joined by Creative Health Placement lecturer Charlie Caroll, and music students from The Royal Northern College of Music, sharing insights and reflections as to the benefits of taking part in training programmes with Songbirds.
In the afternoon we handed over to our young music leaders and young people from RMCH and the community to tell us about their experiences - of being in hospital, being involved in Songbirds projects, and why music is important to them. We finished the day with a group consultation session with over 50 people, with everyone taking part, working in small groups to make music or talk about, write, and share their thoughts and ideas, exploring questions about what is needed to improve experiences of hospital, how music can play a part in this, and the training/opportunities people wanted to see be further developed in our future work.
Heres’ a snapshot of feedback from delegates:
“ How rare it is to have arts and health people in the same room. Now all we need to do is have policy people involved!”
“Thankyou for an inspiring day! It’s so reassuring to know that there are a whole host of people in Manchester alone who care about the difference music can make in health settings”
“ I got to play drums. We had to make a paragraph but we made our own lyrics”
“ Today was inspirational – a great exploration of the power of music to make a difference – keep up the good work!”
“ Songbirds work is inspirational and inspiring it 100% has a place in healthcare and should be made available everywhere. Truly makes a difference to others; amazing!”
