Sing Our Story

Sing Our Story is personalised song writing programme that supports children’s early musical development along with increasing their confidence and emotional wellbeing.

Outcomes include supporting key skills like language development, building teachers knowledge and approach to inclusive music making and creating stronger relationships between schools and parents. The programme is inclusive and benefits all children at early years and primary age. It can offer additional support to looked after or SEN learners or children and families who may be experiencing challenging circumstances. 

Find out how you can work with Sing Our Story here
Sing Our Story schools portal

Our team of songwriters and music therapists have worked across a number of London boroughs as part of our funded Youth Music programme to compose songs for over 2000 children and families.
In 2019 the project was piloted in Galway Ireland.

During the pandemic we have developed Sing Our Story online and have remotely delivered the project to over 150 families. This has included a partnership with the Clic Sargent social work charity that supports children receiving treatment at Great Ormond St Hospital. Songs made during both lockdowns have offered positivity and happiness to families during this immensely challenging period.

It is possible to commission a song as a special gift for a child – If you would like to discuss how to commission a bespoke song or to gift a song to someone visit our Sing Our Story families page.

Schools Project Offer

A Youth Music and Groundswell Arts Cultural Recovery and Parental Engagement
Project offer for 2023 -2026 in Brent, Haringey, Enfield and Waltham Forest.

Sing Our Story has been delivered across Haringey for the past 12 years and for the last three years in Waltham Forest, Enfield, Brent, Barnet and Galway Ireland. 

Sing Our Story’ supports children, parents and carers, key workers and musicians working together to write a unique lullaby or special song, centered on the child’s likes, dislikes, interests, preoccupations, memories and routines.

The 3-stage process fosters an ethos of co-creation and collaboration with parents and carers and has a proven track record of supporting children’s wellbeing, identity, language, and music development. Building and strengthen bonds with both the families and the settings involved.

If you would like to book a place to run the project in Spring or Summer term next year or to find out more we would love to hear from you.

Please get in touch

 

79%

of families agree or strongly agree that Sing Our Story has benefits for their children’s speech language and communication

92%

of families felt it supported their child’s wellbeing and confidence

81%

of families felt the project had improved their relationship with their early years setting or school

2019/2020 from a sample of 120 families

Read the Research

The project (formerly entitled The Lullaby Project) has also been the subject of two academic studies produced by Dr Jonathan Barnes of Christchurch Canterbury University in 2014 and 2019.  (Links below) 

https://www.artshealthresources.org.uk/docs/the-haringey-lullabies-project-music-enhancing-health-and-education-outcomes-in-an-early-years-setting/

http://groundswellarts.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Lullabies-5-yrs-on-report.pdf

Contact us

Please get in touch to find out more about our products and services or find out how you can get involved.

    Project videos

    Father and Son Co-written song.

    Musician and therapist Oscar Lotis performs a song he made for Tabitha 

    Musicians Phil Hogg and Jess Shaw work at Stamford Hill primary school to share Zara’s song with her mother and Zara.

    A Sing Our Story sharing session at Stonecroft Children’s Centre 2017.

    Testimonials

    “Thank you for the training on Monday. There was really positive feedback from staff & it was good in terms of staff wellbeing too.

     The families that participated in the Sing Our Story project said what a privilege it was to be selected to be part of such an amazing project. The experience was very special & the difference that it made to the children, especially as they were not attending nursery during lockdown was magical. One parent commented how their child had become animated & his confidence had really grown as a result of being part of the project. We will treasure his song always.”

    Karen Zajdel
    Head of Willow Nursery & Early Help Lead for Under 5’s
    Children & Young People
    Brent Council

    “Music specialists engage well with families and their children, sharing families’ stories through the writing of personal ‘lullabies’. This is furthering children’s strong sense of belonging, celebrating the uniqueness of each child, and contributing to their developing self-confidence and self-awareness. As a result, children are highly successful learners, able to work independently or with others successfully”

     

    OFSTED report for Woodlands Park Nursery 2018

     

    Donate to our work

    A donation to Groundswell Arts supports our programmes in a variety of ways for example;
    • A donation of £20 can fund the cost per child of participation in one of our Story Lab green screen and animation programmes.
    • A donation of £100 can fund a bespoke song for a child as part of our Sing Our Story programme.
    • A donation of £1000 can enable us to offer a series of workshops and training in a school on programmes such as Sing Our Story, Story Lab. Light Box or Forgotten Stories.
    Donate to our work here

    Project Gallery

    Musician meeting family
    Musician sharing draft song with family
    Sing Our Story Sharing Event