Multi-agency working to engage parents
The Music Education Council conference kick-started a discussion on how to move early years music-making forward as a sector. One issue that arose was how to make use of multi-agency working to assess need and secure the interest of parents/carers and children. Our agreed action was to share examples of where this has worked well, so I am opening the dialogue. Here’s a description of a partnership with a housing association and a primary school. Please share your experiences!
Musical Beacons: a creative family music-making project in Bow, Tower Hamlets, run by Soundcastle and funded by Youth Music.
Musical Beacons is resident in a community centre owned by EastEndHomes, a provider of social housing. Each week families come together in afternoon sessions to write music inspired by their local community. The majority of participants live within half a mile of the centre.
Working in partnership with the housing association brings many benefits, which help us to reach and engage local families. The centre is embedded in community life, and staff understand the lives and the needs of the people around them, and can share their insight with us. It’s a place which is safe and familiar for parents and children, and where they are welcomed and looked after. Many other activities are hosted there, and so through word of mouth the news of free music provision will spread to anyone that walks through the door. The project becomes visible in other ways, such as featuring in the residents’ newsletter, and having performance slots in celebration events. All of these things combine to help us build a project from within a community, giving local people the ownership that will encourage their continued engagement. Our attendance has risen steadily over our residency, and now 30-40 people attend each week. Many families who did not know each other previously have formed lasting friendships, adding a social benefit to the musical package.
Our second key partner is the local primary school, approximately 100 metres from the centre. This may not seem the obvious choice for a project with an early years focus. However, a high number of children who attend the school have younger siblings in the 0-5 bracket. We recruit through school assemblies, when a flyer goes back to every household. We have no restrictions on age and there is no charge, so families can attend with all of their children, allowing those with children in different age brackets to enjoy an experience together. This helps us to reach those with more than one child who may struggle to access musical opportunities, either for financial reasons or the logistics of childcare and age restrictions. Our largest attending family has five children, ranging from a few months old to Key Stage Two!
The key to the success of these partnerships is largely in the location, helping us to shape a project that meets the needs of families on a postcode-sized scale, providing easy and welcoming access at the heart of a community.
For more information on Musical Beacons, watch the film here: https://youtu.be/fQQZYDz0dMk
Or see the website: http://soundcastle.co.uk/musical-beacons-creative-families/
Please share your multi-agency working experiences!