Abstract

Glastonbury openers, UK Ensemble of the Year (RPS Music Awards 2017), Manchester Camerata is redefining what an orchestra can do. We make music that matters, and music for change in a wide variety of places, and in particular use music as a therapy through our programme – Music In Mind.

Music in Mind is our group music therapy project for people living with dementia and their carers, delivered by specialist music therapists and skilled professional musicians. We are already leading people across the North West of England and around the world through this programme. Since 2012, we have worked with close to 6,000 people living with dementia and our aim to to reach the same again by 2022. Relationships with The University of Manchester, NHS trusts and national housing associations help us provide ongoing musical interventions for people living with dementia, and bespoke training for healthcare professionals to leave a legacy behind after our projects end. Commissions from the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, have enabled us to share our expertise with professional musicians in Taiwan, Japan and Montenegro.

In response to the Covid-19 lockdown, Manchester Camerata have developed Music in Mind Remote – an online training programme for care givers, teaching them how to deliver music making activities in their own care settings. This is primarily providing immediate support to people currently affected by the Covid-19 lock down across Greater Manchester while Manchester Camerata’s specialist team of music therapists and musicians are unable to continue delivering the core Music in Mind programme.

Manchester Camerata is currently in the process of piloting this Music in Mind Remote programme across Greater Manchester and designing a more sophisticated online delivery system for the next phase of our business plan. We are approaching national and international market contacts from the field of health and social care, introducing them to this unique training programme and the health and wellbeing benefits it promotes. The vision of Music in Mind is truly international as dementia knows no boundaries. Therefore, the training packages that will be developed throughout this business plan will be translated into many different languages.

Aims

In response to the Covid-19 lockdown, Manchester Camerata have developed Music in Mind Remote – an online training programme for care givers, teaching them how to deliver music making activities in their own care settings. This is primarily providing immediate support to people currently affected by the Covid-19 lock down across Greater Manchester while Manchester Camerata’s specialist team of music therapists and musicians are unable to continue delivering the core Music in Mind programme.