Manchester Camerata receives £50,000 grant from Innovate UK

Music In Mind: Remote

Manchester Camerata receives £50,000 grant from Innovate UK to deliver emergency virtual therapy for people living with dementia

Manchester Camerata is delighted to announce that it has received a £50,000 grant from the government’s Innovate UK scheme to deliver Music in Mind: Remote.

This means that the charity can give emergency relief from isolation for people with dementia during the Covid-19 crisis.

Music in Mind is a pioneering music therapy project for people living with dementia and their carers, delivered by the orchestra’s specialist team of musicians and resident music therapists. This important initiative uses group-based musical improvisation to encourage and empower people with dementia to express themselves and communicate with others – a conversation without words.

Community is at the core of Manchester Camerata’s work and they are already world leaders with their Music in Mind programme, sharing best practice in Japan and Taiwan. Since 2012, they have worked with 6,000 people living with dementia and aim to double this figure by 2022.

Central to the project is the training of health care professionals and, as access to care homes is currently not possible, Music in Mind: Remote uses a specially designed online training resource, hosted on the Manchester Camerata website.

The grant has made it possible to engage eight Manchester Camerata musicians and practitioners to create the digital training resources.  Recording to create a digital musical toolkit will take place at The Stoller Hall in Manchester.

Music In Mind: Remote provides:

Instructional videos on group music-making techniques

Step by step guides to deliver musical activities appropriate for people living with dementia

Online support from Manchester Camerata's consultant music therapists and musicians to troubleshoot and offer advice

Live video feeds of music-making sessions led by Manchester Camerata's specialist musicians and resident therapists

The project will run until November 2020, providing an opportunity to train 36 carers from 12 care homes, working with 360 people. All participants have been involved in earlier Music in Mind live workshops.

Bob Riley, CEO, Manchester Camerata said:

“We are very excited to receive the Innovate grant which will enable us to continue this ground-breaking programme of work using music to enrich and inspire. Engaging with different communities is the very essence of what we do and we are now able to move forward and develop the next phase of this invaluable programme.”

Executive Chair, Innovate UK, Dr Ian Campbell, said:

“Businesses from all over the UK have answered our call rapidly to meet the challenges we face today and in the future through the power of innovation. The ideas we have seen can truly make a significant impact on society, improve the lives of individuals, especially those in vulnerable groups and enable businesses to prosper in challenging circumstances.” 

Published: 23-Jul-2020: (5942)