We asked independent consultant Sally Fort to produce a report evaluating the impact of Harmonise on participants, schools, audience members and  the wider community. We were overwhelmed by the evidence of the impact of the programme, reflected in detailed feedback and observations around well-being, musical development and empathy.

Children involved in Harmonise experienced between 40-250% increase in feelings of wellbeing. – Sally Fort, Evaluator

Long-lasting impact

Sally visited a school in North London to find out how the kids got on in our sessions. We use music to increase the wellbeing of children and this particular group have been in the UK for less than a year. Using the Arts Observational Scale (ArtsObs scale) developed specifically to measure health and well-being in the arts, she asked the kids to score themselves on how they were feeling and used detailed observation charts to see if the activities created any changes in wellbeing throughout the sessions.

Overall, the report found that all children felt more engaged, confident and motivated during the sessions. This feedback shows that music is an integral part of wellbeing for children, and the effects can positively affect other areas of their lives too. This is so important for children from refugee backgrounds, who often struggle to feel accepted by their new communities.

The lower a pupil’s wellbeing before the session, the greater impact the programme had. – Sally Fort, Evaluator

Photo credit: Aisha Seriki

Music is an incredibly effective medium. It is non- threatening, accessible on many levels and creative. – Teacher

Thank you to all the schools who have been involved with Harmonise, it is with their help that all our programmes with young people – HarmoniseSyria Summer Camp and Everyday People LDN – have been nominated for pushing the boundaries for inclusivity in music education by the Youth Music Awards.

We’d also like to say a big thank you to Cultural Consultant, Sally Fort for her work, these insights help us to keep improving and make sure that school children get the most out of Harmonise. Read the full impact report here

Take a look at this video about Harmonise and how we are innovating music education.

If you’d like to work with us, check out our Harmonise Resource for schools with video tutorials, sing-along exercises, and stories from refugees we are working with at musicaction.org/resources

“The children have blossomed. They have been free to explore, make mistakes and grow. Talents have been discovered and confidence has bloomed.”

Ms Rigby, Teacher

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