Unlimited Music: Community Music Making for Wellbeing

Sally Marlow (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience), Helen Ward (Managing Director, Jack Drum Arts), Jack Burton (Creative Director, Jack Drum Arts), Idris Rahman (Co-founder, Soothsayers), Robin Hopcraft (Co-founder, Soothsayers), Lamis Bayar (Co-founder and Chair, Mental Fight Club), Elen Evans (Lead for Children, Young People & Families, High Trees Community Development Trust), Katerina Rawson-Mackenzie (Head of Programmes, The Bridge Central), Sylvie Aboa-Bradwell (Chairperson, Policy Centre for African Peoples), Edward Nesbit (Department of Music), Madison Wempe (Research Assistant & Lived Experience Advisory Board Coordinator), Esther Gruber (PhD Student, ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health)

Music is a powerful tool for mental wellbeing, yet many community groups lack the resources to run music-making initiatives. The Unlimited Music project, led by Sally Marlow, developed a Community Music Making Toolkit to help organisations run music workshops that support mental wellbeing.

In collaboration with Jack Drum Arts, Soothsayers, Mental Fight Club, High Trees, The Bridge Central, and the Policy Centre for African Peoples (PCAP), the project tested music-making workshops in diverse community settings. These workshops provided hands-on experiences with accessible instruments like ukuleles and percussion, allowing participants to develop new skills, build confidence, and foster social connections.

The project brought together professional musicians, community facilitators, and researchers, ensuring the toolkit is both evidence-based and adaptable. The workshops also encouraged knowledge-sharing between musicians, leading to new collaborations—including an invitation for Soothsayers to perform at the Durham Miners’ Gala, an unexpected outcome that strengthened ties between urban and rural music communities.

Launching in 2025, the Unlimited Music Toolkit will be freely available online via the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health at King’s. It will empower community groups to integrate music into their services, offering a scalable approach to wellbeing.

The team is now seeking funding for wider dissemination, including conference presentations and a feature in the “Our Sick Society” podcast series.

For full details of the project, please see the PDF case study below.

Unlimited Music: Community Music Making for Wellbeing – PDF Case Study