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Free music-making equipment has been provided for every baby and child who is in care in Redcar and Cleveland, aged five and under.
The packs, which include instruments, playlists and guidance to help foster carers make music with the babies and children in their care, have been created as part of a partnership project (called This is the Place) between Redcar & Cleveland Council and North East-based charity, Blue Cabin.
Blue Cabin specialises in improving outcomes for babies, children and young people who are in care, or who have been in care. Jenny Young, Blue Cabin’s director, explains how these packs are part of that:
“Making music together has been shown to have a positive impact on babies’ and children’s ability to form relationships, as well as helping them with skills like communication and language development.
“That’s why we’re partnering with local authorities in the North East, including Redcar and Cleveland, to use music to help more babies and children form stronger, better relationships with their carers,” said Jenny.
As well as the packs, regular music-making sessions are taking place in Redcar for foster carers and their babies and children. The sessions are run by Blue Cabin Associate Artists, Carol Bowden and Katie Doherty, who are specialists in using music to help care-experienced babies and children.
Pauline Douglas, head teacher at Redcar and Cleveland virtual school, which supports children in care in the borough, as well as those previously in care, said: “This project is providing essential opportunities for building relationships and attachment, as well as learning valuable early speech and language skills and social skills through the medium of music making.
“We’ve had fantastic feedback, the foster carers and children really look forward to the music sessions and now we are able to provide these packs, so more children and babies can benefit from music-making at home as well.”
In total, 90 packs of music-making materials have been given to families in Redcar and Cleveland.
This builds on previous work in Darlington, which also saw packs delivered to every care-experienced baby and child aged five and under in that area.
This is the Place is funded by Youth Music, Redcar & Cleveland Council, Darlington Borough Council and Creative Darlington. Find out more here.
Are you a carer for a care-experienced child in Redcar & Cleveland who’s aged 0 to five years? Come along to our free term-time, weekly music sessions. They are delivered by two musicians in a fun and supportive environment.
You can find out more about This is the Place here and, if you’d like to get involved in our music-making sessions, get in touch! Email Virtual.School@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk to find out more.
Find out how to get involved in our This is the Place sessions in Darlington – if you’re a carer for a care-experienced child in Darlington, aged 0 to five, email Nicola Andrews on Nicola.Andrews@darlington.gov.uk for more details.
We’ve published a bank of free music-making resources including a playlist of songs and a short film, explaining how music-making can support attachment and development in babies and children. Access the resources here.
Learn more about This is the Place and what’s happening as part of the programme in Redcar and Cleveland, and in Darlington, here.
