Music Therapy: Context, Access and Communities

The research is funded by the Cultural Institute at the University of Leeds. The aim of this project is to understand the value of music therapy (MT) in local rural communities. The project is being carried out in collaboration with a range of collaborators, including the North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre. The project aims to understand how music is currently used to improve wellbeing in local

areas; identify how such musical practices converge; and identify gaps in the provision of Music Therapy. It is hoped that the research will help providers to understand and articulate the unique attributes that their therapeutic interventions afford as compared to other forms of musical activity available in the community. Project Objectives:
1.Survey existing interactive music-making activities in local rural communities
2.Identify the need for Music Therapy in local rural areas
3.Understand which client groups would benefit from Music Therapy
4.Recognize challenges to accessing Music Therapy
5.Connect practitioners and researchers interested in the benefits arising from research into arts therapies
6.Prioritize research questions for development in future grant bids