The difference we make

We make a difference in the lives of children and young people in a variety of very challenging circumstances, through high quality music and arts based projects and experiences

We have wide ranging experience of working with children and young people who:

• are D/deaf or hearing impaired
• have profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD)
• have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• are in secure settings
• are looked after
• have experienced mental health issues

Although our participants seem very diverse, almost without exception they have most of the following characteristics:

• Experience of care and other state-provided systems because of failed parenting and family relationships
• Prolonged absence from education (for reasons which including ill health or challenging behaviour), with levels of literacy, numeracy and communication skills substantially below age-related expectations
• Mental health problems
• Learning disability or barriers, including difficulty in self-regulation, ability to focus, limited capacity for persistence
• Recruited, groomed and/or exposed to criminal behaviour, including CSE, drug transport and knife crime
• Experience of trauma, sometimes multiple trauma
• Socially deprived; with little experience of participating in culture, arts, sport and similar opportunities which are part of our foundation of personal fulfilment and social behaviour
• Social difficulties; unable to accept praise, encouragement and reward, poor self-worth, difficulty forming friendly relationships, apt to undermine and criticize themselves and others, sometimes in extreme ways

Overall, they largely experience some kind of barrier to accessing the necessary elements required for a healthy and cultural everyday life.

Our projects: