Sudbury Sounds
A project supporting vulnerable adults and older people by tackling social isolation and bringing people together through the shared joy of live music.
What we wanted to achieve
Produced by Orchestras Live and Babergh District Council, the project aimed to support the Council’s Health & Wellbeing Strategy, focusing on developing the creative potential of learning-disabled adults at The Bridge Project in Sudbury (a training centre for people with learning difficulties and other vulnerable groups). The project also aimed to engage older people, including those living with dementia, across three care settings in the same area of Babergh.
A key goal of the project was to ensure sustainability by equipping staff at each setting with the tools needed to continue music-making beyond the project's end.
What we did
In Summer 2024, a team of musicians from Sinfonia Viva led by Jessie Grimes held a series of workshops at The Bridge Project, Chilton Croft Nursing Home, St Joseph’s Care Home and Mellish House Residential Home.
The workshops were attended by older residents, vulnerable people and those living with long-term health conditions, such as dementia and Parkinson’s. The sessions tackled social isolation by bringing people together through the joy of live music. Participants sang songs, listened to and danced to live music, and co-created material that Jessie orchestrated for a larger ensemble.
This project culminated in a joyous celebration concert at Sudbury Arts Centre, where participants proudly performed their new songs with Sinfonia Viva, delighting an audience of almost 90 people.
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It was absolutely amazing seeing all the different people come together from different groups and playing with professional musicians, and having gone through that whole six weeks working with professional musicians who really see that, the pride that everybody was showing and just joy, just joyful, and it's absolutely what we should be doing.
~ Sudbury Arts Centre Manager
Outcomes
An important outcome was for the ideas and techniques for music-making to be adopted by staff each setting. Two locally based community musicians were in the workshop team, ensuring that the impact of the project is able to continue. In one care home, the project workshops inspired the Wellbeing Co-ordinator to integrate music-making into their daily interactions with residents.
Another outcome was that participants formed connections with people outside their usual circle, fostering greater empathy, respect and understanding, valuing individuals’ differences and promoting dignity, equality and inclusion.
- 49 care home residents and 22 people from The Bridge Project participated in the project
- 86 audience members attended the culmination performance
- 100% of participants said "taking part had a positive impact on my mental wellbeing"
- 92% of participants said the project made them feel "more confident about doing new things”
- 100% of staff said the project "helped me to feel connected to people in the community.”
- 100% of audience members said "it made me feel proud of my community.”
Partners
Orchestras Live, Babergh District Council and Sinfonia Viva with support from Arts Council England, The Radcliffe Trust and The Bridge Project.