Music and Mountains
Every year, 8 Learn to Play children take part in the Music and Mountains residency in Wales where they receive individual music lessons in the morning and enjoy outdoor activities in the afternoon. The residency is designed to be a source of inspiration for our young musicians, many of whom will experience outdoor pursuits such as rock climbing, canoeing, and bow and arrow making for the first time.
The residency responds to grave concerns about the lasting effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on low-income children living in inner-city areas. Research shows that lack of green spaces has been linked to higher mortality and worse child development, including increased risk of preventable deaths from nitrogen dioxide air pollution.  
We are acutely aware of the limited opportunities our children and young people, who are all from low income, refugee or asylum-seeking households have. Using their growing love of music, we want to help our children establish a life-long relationship with the natural world, cultivating an awareness and thoughtfulness of the countryside, and particularly of North Wales, which is so close, but which is unimaginably different to where they live.   
 
Many Olympias families told us about how the lack of green space in Longsight and opportunities for children to play outside safely negatively affected their children’s physical and mental health. These problems persist, with many children left anxious from time spent indoors during lockdown, disconnected from nature and unaware of life outside urban environments. Music has been an essential part of nurturing their mental-health and well-being during this difficult time. 
The invaluable experience is designed to be a source of inspiration for their artistic development and to open their eyes to a range of new, exciting – sometimes challenging - opportunities outside of what they already know.  In doing so, we hope to instil a sense of wonder, curiosity and increased ambition. 
We would like to continue this project but also offer this residency to more children. Can you help to make this happen? Click here to donate or if you could offer other support, whether this is through corporate support or in kind donations, please do get in touch.
