New Sheffield babies project will improve families' access to live music

Diverse musicians performing as part of the Concerteenies for Babies initiative will use instruments from the harp to banjo, Chinese zither and even beatboxing to reach four underserved communities in free concerts.

The special project has been granted £15,000 from the Youth Music Trailblazer fund, and will also involve academics at the University of Leeds.

Polly Ives, founder of Sheffield charity Concerteenies, said: “These concerts give parents the rare opportunity to attend live music events, cultural venues and community spaces at a time proven to be challenging for families.

“They aim to relax and reinvigorate adults, as well as providing special bonding interaction with their babies and new musical experiences for the very young.”

The sensory concerts will be fully baby-friendly, welcoming breastfeeding as well as providing nappy changing facilities and refreshments.

The first series of five weekly events taking place at Highfield Trinity Methodist Church in June and July.

From September, Greentop Circus in Grimethorpe will also be involved in a bid to reach more diverse and disadvantaged communities in the city.

Cellist Polly added: “Evaluation of our recent work indicates parents who pay to come to our ticketed relaxation concerts appreciate the social and emotional benefits.

“We want to discover the most effective ways to connect with parents of new babies in areas of disadvantage, and how we can adapt our musical experiences to be relevant, accessible and inclusive.

“The aim is to improve access to live music and outcomes for pre-crawling babies, children and families in disadvantaged communities in Sheffield.”

The project kicked off with an event at Yellow Arch Studios, one of Sheffield’s most famous music venues.

Professor Karen Burland Clark and Dr Freya Bailes, from the University of Leeds’ School of Music, launched the project evaluation.

Professor Clark said the aim was to understand how to create musical experiences for all, how audiences benefited and what musicians could learn from the project.

She added: “One of the things about Concerteenies is that the music is very high quality - the adults enjoy it and it is delivered in a way that engages children.

“We’re interested in how that is experienced and how it relates to their everyday lives as new parents. Does it help them feel more energised or connected to their community?

“We want to understand why people come to these concerts and what makes them come back.”

In time it is hoped this work will eventually lead to a larger scale research project.

Other musicians involved in the concerts are banjo player and vocalist Kate Griffin, Manon McCoy on the harp and vocals, vocalist Deepa Shakthi and Shu Jiang playing the Chinese zithers.

Ford Collier will perform on the tabla, guitar and whistle, while Martin Harwood joins with the fiddle, guitar and on vocals.

Families will also be able to experience James Lyons beatboxing, playing the flute and harmonica, plus acoustic folk fusion duo Mambo Jambo.

Families who wish to be involved can access free tickets via concerteenies.com/events.